What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?
by LiveInLove
Summary: Carlos brings home a homeless Troy, his daughter who is a total daddy's girl starts to become a total troys little girl.what happens when gabriella comes back into the picture after moving away with her family ? TxG Chapter 38 rated M.
1. Chapter 1

What happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**E**veryone always says people come in and out of your life. Some stay for awhile and then leave, while others stay for a lifetime, whether it's in our hearts, in our memories, or even right next to you. Either way, they were there for you when you needed them, even if it's only for a short while. They made a difference at that moment they walked into your life.

This is exactly what happened to Carlos Hudgens, but which one happened? Well, that, you will have to find out for yourself.

Carlos is a simple man who works as a lawyer. He currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Some say he's wealthy, just because he owns a big house, while others say he is wealthy because of the relationship he has with his 2 year old daughter, Vanessa.

Vanessa is a sweet, energetic girl who loves her father. The two spend as much time together as possible, which can be tough considering that Carlos works a regular 9-5 day. Still, even though he is tired from working all day, he is never too tired to play with his little girl.

As for Vanessa's mother? Well, she isn't in the picture. You see Carlos and Andrea got married at a young age. Just nine months later a bundle of joy came into their lives. Wait, let me rephrase that. A bundle of joy came into Carlos's life. As soon as Vanessa was born, Andrea decided that she was too young to be held down by a child. So, as soon as she got the chance, she packed her bags and headed off to California to become a big movie star.

Carlos was left to deal with his daughter all by himself. It only took a day before he was completely infatuated by her. Today, it's just the two of them. Well, if you don't count the butler, maid. Just this morning Carlos had to fire his second nanny this year. The first one always had this nasty scowl on her face. Truth be told, she scared Vanessa. The second one thought that Vanessa was too spoiled because she would sometimes use phrases like "Daddy says yes," or the famous "I want my daddy," which she said almost every hour.

So not only was Carlos late for work, but he also had to leave Vanessa with the Butler for the day. This wasn't a problem since Martin, the butler, grew up in Carlos's family. He was a completely trustworthy guy.

Finally, at 9:47 am, he left the house and prayed that his boss would be in a forgiving mood. Not once in his career had he been late.

While in the car driving to work, he fiddled with the radio station, trying to find a decent station that didn't have commercials or any of those new songs teenagers were listening to. Just as the light turned green he settled on one that he was remotely happy with.

There wasn't much traffic out, so the ride didn't take more than 15 minutes. He parked his car in the same spot he always had since he first took on this job; second garage, first aisle, 7th spot on the right. Getting out of his car he took a sip of his steaming coffee and proceeded towards the entrance, hoping not to run into his boss. The hot coffee ran down his throat, which felt like heaven since it was a particularly bitter winter morning. While he was walking up the stairs to enter the building he noticed a man that had not been there before.

It wasn't uncommon to see homeless people where he lived. It was just that he had never seen one right outside to the left of the steps. Not one in the 10 years he has been working there. Carlos subtly glanced to his left at this man. A feeling of sympathy ran through his veins. The young man was sitting there against the wall, without gloves, without a hat, and without a jacket. The only thing this guy wore was what looked like 5 year old worn out boots, a t-shirt and some sweats. He looked like he hadn't showered in months, and by the smell of it, he guessed right. While looking him over once more before he made his way into the door, Carlos noticed a picture in his hands. Looking more closely, he saw two people. At that moment his eyes went wide. He knew those people. He went to school with those people. Those people were his best friends in high school and they looked more in love in that picture than they ever did while dating in high school.

Taking out his cell phone with a shaky hand he dialed a familiar number. After having it ring twice, he heard just who he wanted to hear pick up.

"Carlos? Where are you? You were supposed to be here an hour ago." His manager's voice rang through his ears.

"I know, and I am sorry I didn't call earlier, but I am very sick and unable to get out of bed. I will do my best to make it in tomorrow." Carlos coughed a little after he spoke.

"Very well, feel better and say hi to Vanessa for me." The manager among all of his other co-workers loved that little girl.

"Will do!" With that he hung up the phone and put it back into his pocket. Turning to his left he fully faced to man slumped against the floor.

"It sure is cold out here." Carlos looked at the man while rubbing his hands together, trying to create friction.

"It sure is sir." The man politely replied while giving Carlos a small smile.

"I'm Carlos Hudgens." He held out his hand for the man sitting on the floor to take.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Troy Bolton." He shook Carlos's hand.

Well tell me what you think and please comment! Suggestions are always welcome and appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Disclaimer: I only own the plot**

**Carlos's Pov:**

**T**hat name was all I needed to confirm what I thought. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Starla and David Bolton, would you?" I asked him. I saw Troy's eyes go wide at the mention of these two names.

"Those were my parent's names. How did you know?" Well that confirms it. Sitting in front of me was the son of my two best friends in high school, but, why was he here?

"Oh, excuse me. You must think I'm crazy. I took a peek at your picture. We all went to school together." Troy nodded a sad smile at my answer. Feeling sorry for the young man in front of me, I took a seat right next to him.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to them?" My voice shook a little. Troy took in a long deep breath before speaking.

"About 3 years ago they were driving home from a Christmas party. I stayed home that night since it was for their work. About 11 o'clock at night I got a call from the police staying they had been hit by a drunk driver and had died on impact. I have no other relatives so I packed my bags and here I am 3 years later. If I had just gone with them, maybe none of this would have happened. I would have been an extra set of eyes for the road. Maybe I wouldn't be where I am today- homeless for 3 years at 18." Troy put his head in his hands trying not to show the tears that were cascading down his face. My heat sunk. This is when it hit me. My two best friends were dead.

"Troy, listen to me. It is not your fault. You would have been in that car crash also. Have you been to a homeless shelter?" I asked him while taking off my jacket and draping it over his shoulders. He definitely needed it more than I did.

"Those places don't care about you. As soon as you turn 18, they kick you out." He picked his head up and noticed that the tears had stopped.

"Listen Troy I am not sure how your going to take this, but as a friend of your parents I would like you to come back home with me." Troy shook his head.

"I couldn't impose like that. Please, I'm fine. I will just be a burden if I stay with you."

I thought for a minute trying to think of a way to get him to stay with me without making him feel like he is intruding. My mind drifted to Vanessa and how she was at home…with the butler. That's it. I need someone to watch Vanessa during the day.

"What if I offered you a job at the house? You will have a bedroom, meals, plus a job." I told him and his face brightened instantly.

"Well I guess that wouldn't be so bad considering I'm working for you. What did you have in mind?" Thank god Troy accepted my offer. I don't think I would've been able to leave him on the streets.

"Are you any good with children?" I asked him.

"My parents and I used to watch twins once a week each year. Does that count?" I smiled and nodded my head at him.

**Troy's Pov:**

What did I do to deserve this? This man standing next to me, my parents friend, was so giving. When he got up from his place on the floor, I followed suit. Walking to the car I began to think how thankful I was that this man was nice enough to help me out.

The first part of the car ride was quiet, only a little small talk here and there.

"I have a little girl at home. Her names Vanessa and she's 2 years old. Right now she's at home with out butler. I had to fire our nanny this morning." He told me while coming towards a stoplight. Wait, did he just say butler? What did I get myself into?

"Oh that's nice." That was the only thing I could think of. I guess my facial expressions showed I was scared because he laughed when he looked at me.

"Don't be intimidated. We may have come off as wealthy, but we're just normal people." I let go of the breath that I hadn't realized I was holding in.

My mouth dropped as we pulled into the driveway. This house was huge. It has a four car garage, what looked to be 4 stories, and a huge gate out in front. We both got out of the car and started walking up towards the house. Carlos patted me on my back while entering.

I was a little embarrassed by the way I looked. Saying I was dirty would be an understatement. I think Carlos sensed my uneasiness.

"Its ok, it's just the butler, maid and Vanessa here. No one will judge you." This calmed my fears a little.

"Daddyyyyy!" I turned around and saw a tiny toddler trying to get out of the arms of what I assumed to be the butler. He placed the girl on the ground and I watched her run over and grab Carlos's leg, holding onto tightly. I smiled as I watched Carlos toss the little girl into the air who was giggling in delight.

Once Carlos set her down on the floor, Vanessa turned to me and immediately hid her head in her fathers pant leg.

"Scary boy, daddy." I heard her whimper. I looked down to hide my embarrassment.

"Van, he's not scary." The little girl made no attempt to unbury her head.

"Why don't I show you to your room, I have some clothes for you, so you can get showered up? Dinner should be ready by the time you come out." I smiled at him and nodded my head.

Carlos started to walk, but was soon stopped by a tugging on his pants. "No Daddy, up!" Vanessa held her arms in the air for her father to pick her up, which he did.

"She tends to be a little clingy when she's tired or missed her nap, right Martin?" The first part Carlos whispered to me, but the last part was meant for the butler. Carlos was right about Vanessa missing her nap considering the butler walked away smiling and laughing. I nodded my head to show I understood.

"Oh and she's going through a phase of 'Daddy lets me do it,' so don't pay any attention to that, right Van?" I nodded and watched as Vanessa hid her face in her father's chest after she looked at me.

"Alright, everything you need will be in the bathroom. If you don't mind, I need to catch up on some things for work, so I am just going to leave Vanessa in here with some toys while you take a shower. She'll be fine playing out here so take your time. I would leave her with martin, but he needs to start dinner, and well the last time he watched her while making dinner, we found Barbie in the soup." He smiled at me and set Vanessa on the floor. Vanessa whimpered, wanting to stay with her father.

"That's what I'm here for." I told him. "Please, make yourself at home Troy," he said while placing a couple of Vanessa's toys on the floor. Before he left the room, I thanked him once more before walking into the bathroom.

After waling into the bathroom and closing the door, I looked at myself in the mirror. Now I can see why Vanessa was so scared of me. There was dirt all over my face. I needed to shave. My eyes were even red from the lack of sleep.

I shed my clothes and hopped into the steaming hot shower. I hadn't realized how much I had missed this. I savored each moment. I didn't want to leave Vanessa by herself for too long, so I showered, shaved, and got dressed quickly.

Walking out of the bathroom, I threw my towel into the laundry basket and walked over to Vanessa. Crouching down beside her, she looked up at me.

"Where scary boy go?" I laughed. This girl was adorable. She had big brown eyes, curly hair, and the most adorable voice.

"He left. I'm Troy" I told her while moving a piece of hair out of her eyes. I noticed a stuffed bear in her arms. It was almost the same size she was, which wasn't big considering she was extremely small for a 2 year old.

"What's his name?" I pointed to the chocolate colored bear. "He snuggles." Vanessa gave a yawn and hugged the bear closer.

"Are you sleepy Vanessa?" I asked her and she nodded her head. Getting up from my crouched position, I picked her up and settled her in my arms. Her tiny fists rubbed her right eye as she leaned her head against my chest.

"Let's go eat some dinner, then you can go to sleep." I told her while walking out of the room. Descending downstairs and into the kitchen I found Carlos already sitting at the table.

"You cleaned up nicely, Troy. It looks like Vanessa has taken to you too!" He gave me a smile while I put Vanessa in her booster seat and strapped her in.

"Thank you sir, and yes I don't think I scare her anymore." I laughed and took a seat at the table.

Once everyone was done eating, Carlos asked if I wanted a one on one game in basketball. Of course I did, it was my favorite sport. I followed him upstairs while he carried Vanessa to put her to bed.

"No Troy read story and say night night," I heard Vanessa whimper. She held her arms out to me; well one considering the other one was holding her bear. I didn't know how to respond to that.

Carlos turned around, gave a sad smile, and said, "I uh have to finish up with my work anyway." I watched him as he kissed Vanessa on the forehead and said goodnight before giving her to me.

I felt sorry for him as he walked out of the room. I didn't want him to feel as if Vanessa liked me better.

I placed Vanessa on her bed and went to pick out some pajamas. Opening the drawer, I found it filled with princess outfits. Picking out one with Cinderella, I quickly changed her and settled her back on my hip. Walking over towards the rocking chair I sat down with Vanessa on my lap. Grabbing two books, I held them out in front of her.

"Which one?" I asked her. She lifted her head up from where it was on my shoulder, took her thumb out of her mouth, and pointed to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She returned to her previous position once I began reading.

Halfway through the story I noticed that she fell asleep. Her bear was tucked safely into her arm while her hand gripped onto my shirt. Putting the book down, I carefully got up from the chair and walked over to the bed. Without waking her, I managed to tuck her into bed. Before I left I kissed her forehead and turned on her Tinkerbelle night light.

Walking out of the room, I made my way to Carlos's office. As soon as he saw me come in he acted like he just finished up his work. He smiled at me and grabbed his basketball. We made our way out to the basketball court outside house. I guess I should stop being amazed at how huge this place was.

"Look about before with Vanessa, I'm sorry." I told him while dribbling the ball. He once again gave a sad smile. "What are you sorry about? I told you, I had work to finish anyway." He didn't sound very convincing to me, but I let it slide.

I knew he was the one that wanted to put his daughter to sleep. I knew he finished all his work earlier and that saying he needed to finish was an excuse. I knew that he was hurting, but I couldn't do anything about it. Looking at him, I gave an understanding smile and started to play the game.

**Well, tell me what you think. 10 more good reviews till the next chapter. I hope you liked it.**


	3. Chapter 3

What happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.

**Troy's Pov:**

Last night was the first night I slept in a bed in three years. It felt great not having to worry about anyone intruding in your space or freezing to death for that matter. So today on a Tuesday morning I was on a mattress under two blankets instead of my usual cardboard bed.

Opening my eyes, I glanced at the clock and saw 7 o'clock shining brightly on the dresser table. Too early, just a couple more hours of sleep and I'll be good.

Just as I was about to fall into a peaceful slumber I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I had no energy to even open my eyes. By the sound of it, who ever it was let themselves in.

"Wake-up Troy, special delivery." Ugh why did Carlos need to wake me at seven? As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Carlos placing what looked to be a half asleep Vanessa on my bed.

"She just woke up. I need to head off to work. Help yourself to anything and Martin is here if you need." He told me while giving me his phone number and money incase we wanted to go out.

"Thank you so much Carlos. I really appreciate all your doing for me." I told him while sitting up. Vanessa reached her arms out towards me and I gladly picked her up.

"No need to keep thanking me, Troy. It's not a problem at all. You're doing me a huge favor by looking after Vanessa all day." I smiled at him and nodded my head. He was such a generous man.

"Ok now have a nice day, Troy." He said while moving towards the bed.

"You too, Carlos." I told him.

He moved over to me and lifted Vanessa off of my lap. Placing her in his arms and gently tickling her stomach he said, "Be a good girl for Troy princess. I'll see you later baby. Love you." I smiled at the interaction between the two of them.

"Otay Daddy. I love you." Carlos gave her a kiss on her forehead before returning her to me. Within the next to minutes he was out of my room and out the front door.

"What do you want to do today?" I asked her while taking the pacifier out of her mouth. She giggles as it made a noise while I took it out.

"pway wiv my dressies." I laughed at her interpretation of the game dress-up. What did I get myself into?

"Alright, well let's eat some breakfast first." I told her while bringing her downstairs. Walking into the kitchen, I found Martin placing two plates of steaming hot pancakes on the table. One plate had tiny cut up pieces of pancakes while the other one had 3 whole ones. That plate I assumed was mine.

"Thanks Martin. It looks delicious." I told him while placing Vanessa in her seat. She immediately started to pick up the tiny pieces and eat them. I too started to eat right when I sat down.

After we both finished, I thanked Martin once more and went into the playroom with Vanessa.

Taking a seat on the floor, I watched her toddle her way around the room. She ended up coming back to me carrying a couple of items in her tiny arms. She squatted down while picking up a bow tie and handed it to me.

"What am I Nessa?" I asked her while putting the bow tie around my neck.

"You pwince chawmin." She told me while taking out a pink dress.

"Well, prince charming needs a princess." Standing up, I picked her up and spun her around. Her laughter filled the room. Setting her on the floor, I helped her into her princess dress.

**No one's Pov:**

Meanwhile, everyone was glad to see Carlos back in the office after a day of being 'sick'. His four co-workers, Allison, Matt, Greg, and Stephanie were all in his office catching up on what's been happening while he was out yesterday.

**Carlos's Pov:**

These same co-workers in my office were also my friends. I had gone to high school with each one of them. Remembering my times in high school my mind began to drift to the boy that was home with my daughter. I bet my co-workers remember his parents. They were truly great people.

"Do you guys remember Starla and David from high school?" I asked them unsure what their responses would be.

"Do we remember them? Of course we do. They were apart of our circle of friends. Why do you ask?" Stephanie smiled as she began to reminisce about them.

"They uh were in a car crash three years ago during Christmas and died on impact." I hung my head after answering.

"Oh my god. How did you find out?" I heard Matt ask.

"Well remember yesterday how I said I was sick?" They all nodded their heads, their eyes seemed to burn holes in my head as they sat there wide-eyed listening to me.

"I wasn't. While I was coming into work, I found a man sitting beside the stairs. He had a picture in his hands. That picture was of Starla and David. The man sitting there was his 19 year old son. He had been homeless for 3 years." To say everyone was shocked would be an understatement. The girls had tears in their eyes while the guys were speechless.

"No it can't be. We would have been told something. It would have been on the news." Greg put his head in his hands.

I sighed at his comment. Walking around to my computer I diligently typed in the words Bolton car crash. The first site to pop up was of the newspaper in California. "Come have a look at what I found." I told them while they made their way over to me.

"Deathly Car Crash." Stephanie read out loud.

"While Christmas is usually a happy time for everyone, it wasn't for the Bolton Family. Starla and David Bolton were hit head on by a drunk driver. They died on impact leaving their 17 year old son an orphan. The kid has no relatives who are living and because of this, he fled. The parents of the poor boy had not written a will, or if so, it had not been found. Therefore, the money was simply given to charity and the furniture was offered in auctions after the young boy just ran off. He's been named as a missing person as of a few weeks ago" Everyone covered their mouths in shock. I looked at the date and noticed that this was a day after Christmas.

I guess the police just gave up finding him. They probably thought this kid has no family to look out for him, plus he is 17 and can look after himself. How could they just give up? I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't taken him in.

"Wait you said had been homeless. Where is he now?" Greg asked.

"Troy's at home with Vanessa. He wouldn't come home with me unless he was helping me out in some way. He really is a great guy and Vanessa loves him." I smiled thinking about my daughter. Looking at my friends, they all had smiles on their faces. I now knew that I had made the right decision about bring Troy home.

"And is Troy good with Vanessa?" Allison asked.

"I would think so considering Vanessa wanted him to put her to bed instead of me. That and she got him to play dress-up with her. Martin, my butler called me a while ago to tell me that he is better than any other nanny I've hired. So far he said they played dress-up, had lunch, then Troy took her out for ice cream and to play in the park." I was gleaming with pride as I spoke about all the great things troy was doing with her.

"Wow he sounds just like his parents. They were always generous and loving people." Stephanie smiled.

"Yea I remember how they couldn't go one day without getting in trouble for PDA's." I remembered a crazy old teacher always yelling at them.

"I remember how David would literally stare down any man that looked at Starla." Allison smiled as she remembered our beloved friends.

"I'm glad those two finally got married, it's just a sin what happened to them." Greg stated. Everyone agreed with him.

Glancing at the clock, I noticed it was already 5 o'clock.

"Wow look at the time. It's time for me to head home. I'll see you guys tomorrow." I waved goodbye as I grabbed my briefcase and jacket and walked out the door.

To tell you the truth, I couldn't wait to get home. I got into my car and started heading home.

I was so glad once a pulled into my driveway. Entering the house I noticed it was really quiet.

"Hello?" I called. No one seemed to answer. Walking upstairs I started to hear laughing. At least I now knew someone was home.

Walking into the bathroom I found Troy giving Vanessa a bath. Vanessa was slapping her hands down in the water causing Troy to get drenched. They both were laughing, which made me start laughing too. Troy turned around, facing me. He had a few bubbles in his hair and his shirt was soaked.

"You didn't need to give her a bath, I would have done it." I smiled watching Troy take Vanessa out of the bath and wrap her in a towel.

"Well you see after we went to the park, we went out for ice cream." I didn't let him finish his though.

"Please don't tell me you gave the two year old chocolate ice cream in a cone." I smirked while he sat there looking guilty.

"Well now I know next time to ask for it in a cup. Good thing that was the last stop before we came home, she needed a bath by the time she was done." He laughed and picked Vanessa up. She immediately rested her head on his shoulder.

"Did she have a nap today?" I asked him.

"Yea, I put her down after lunch before we went to the park." I nodded my head in approval.

Troy was really more than I could ever ask for. Now if only I could do something for him.

**I hope you liked it. Please, either leave a comment with suggestions or private message me. 10 comments till next chapter. **_**Co-written with ImmaHatefulCritic**_**. **


	4. Chapter 4

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's POV:**

Walking into Vanessa's room I set her down on the floor and then pulled out some clothes for her. Not wanting her to catch a cold from being in a wet towel, I quickly dressed her.

Hearing footsteps come into the room, I looked up and saw Carlos. Looking at him, I noticed he changes out of his work clothes and into something a little more casual.

"Hey Troy, are you busy?" He asked me as he sat on Vanessa's bed.

"Uh no, why do you need me to do something?" I asked him as I finished putting on Vanessa's sweatshirt. I had a hard time believing how small the sweatshirt was. It looked like it was for a doll, yet it was a little big on Vanessa.

"Well you and I never really had any time to talk. I figured if you weren't busy we could get to know each other a little better." Carlos shrugged his shoulders. This sounded like a good idea to me. We really didn't know that much about each other.

"Sure, you want to go down to the living room?" He nodded his head and stood up. I followed him out of the room and down the stairs with Vanessa in my arms. She had her blankey gripped in her hand.

"I'll be there in a minute." I told him once I got downstairs.

"Sure, no problem." He answered as I placed Vanessa on the floor.

"Go find daddy," I told her while giving her a gentle push in his direction. She started to slowly walk in the direction of the living room. Making my way in the opposite direction, I walked into the kitchen and went over to the refrigerator.

I scanned the contents in the refrigerator until my eyes landed on a pink princess sippy cup filled with milk. As soon as I took it out and closed the door I felt hands tug on my pant leg.

"Hey Nessa, what are you doing here?" I asked her while walking her out of the kitchen, sippy cup in my hand. She only seemed to respond to my question with a yawn.

Walking into the living room, I took a seat on the couch across Carlos, then place Vanessa on my knee and gave her the cup.

"So when's your birthday?" Once Carlos asked a question, I looked up at him.

"January 22nd. How about you and Vanessa?" I asked him.

"Mine is April 17th and Vanessa's is August 6th." He answered while I nodded.

I heard a bang and then heard a whimper and cry escape from Vanessa's mouth. Looking down I saw the pink cup on the hard wood floor. Leaning over, I picked it up off the ground, glad to see that it didn't spill, and placed it in her hands again. She immediately stopped crying once she started drinking again. My left hand hovered near the cup just incase it slipped from her grasp, while my right hand was placed on her stomach for support.

"Is basketball the only sport you play?" Carlos asked me.

"Well, I can play other sports, but basketball is the one I'm passionate about." I told him. I could hit a ball with a bat, or run, but I was never into those sports like a was with basketball.

"Why's that?" I had to think about this question before answering. Why am I really passionate about this sport? Then again how do you know if your truly passionate about something? Maybe you just like it and that's then extent of it. Well I like baseball, but not as much as basketball.

I was taken out of my thoughts when I noticed Vanessa lifting her cup up to me. I noticed it was empty as I took the now light cup out of her hands.

"All gone." Vanessa said and then yawned. She then rubbed her eyes and laid back against me. I looked at the time; it was already 8:45, past her bedtime.

"Do you mind if I have sometime to think about your question while I put Vanessa to bed? Unless you want to do it?" I asked. I figured I would offer it to him since he hadn't the previous night.

"I'm sure she will be fine with you putting her to bed. Goodnight Vanessa, I love you." Bringing Vanessa over to him I bent down so he could give her a hug and kiss.

Before I walked up the stairs I put her empty cup in the sink. As soon as I got into her room I changed her into her pull-ups and warm pajamas since it was a cold winter night. It was too late for a story. She would probably just fall asleep a page into it anyway. Sitting down on the rocking chair with Vanessa, I watched how she snuggled up to me. Her eyes were still open after a minute as I rocked back and forth.

"Why am I passionate about basketball Nessa?" I whispered.

"Me pway basketbow wiv dada." I don't think she understood my question, but yet she answered it fully. It sounds strange but when you think about it, it linked to why I was passionate about basketball.

"My daddy played basketball with me too." I told her while adjusting her in my arms so she was lying down. Almost instantly she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, being lulled by the rocking sensation.

Carlos was downstairs waiting for me, so I didn't want to keep him longer than I already did. Getting up from the chair, I pulled the covered down on the bed, and slipped her tiny form between the covers and mattress. I flicked on the nightlight and kissed her forehead before going back downstairs.

He was sitting in the exact same spot when I left. I once again took my place on the couch and drew in a deep breath.

"You wanted to know why I'm so passionate about basketball, right?" He nodded his head.

"Well, you see ever since I could run, I remember playing basketball with my dad in our backyard. My mom would constantly tell us to give it a rest. We were always out there till it was too late to see the hoop. I guess we just sort of bonded over it. I mean it was two people who shared the same love for something. He was the coach at a high school called East High for 10 years. I remember making a count down till I was in high school so he could be my coach. Though it started at 4 years, it went by fast. Finally, my first day of high school I tried out for basketball and I made the team. It wasn't because my dad was the coach though. The whole team had to vote for which freshmen were good enough and I was the only one picked. He helped me practice for every game. Even the championships when I was a junior. You should have seen the look on his face when I scored that winning goal. I played up until senior year where I quit half way into it." I wiped a tear that was cascading down my cheek.

"Why did you quit half…" He stopped mid-sentence. I looked down in shame. I knew he would be wondering why, but at the same time he knew part of the reason.

"After my parents um passed, I didn't want to stay. I didn't want to be the guy to walk down the hallways. The one where I hear people give all their sympathy towards me. I had no one. No relatives, no parents, no one to look after me. It was just me. Why do you think I ran away from it?" I wasn't really looking for an answer to my question.

"We could stop for tonight if you want, I didn't mean to upset you." His voice sounded tired and ashamed.

"No it feels good to finally get everything out in the open. Please, continue." I told him. I hadn't talked about this with anyone. It was mainly because I had no one until now to talk about it with.

"Did you have any close friends at your school?" I smiled at his question.

"Of course I did. I had mainly five really close friends." God I wonder what happened to them.

"What were they like?" What were they like? How do I sum them all up?

"Well there's Chad Danforth. He basically had the attention span of a five year old and the stomach of two men. He was also into basketball. He has an afro. He sometimes is a little slow if you know what I mean. If you were around Chad, he would crack jokes constantly. Yet, he is a great guy. He was a big brother to the girls in our group and was a friend to everyone." I wonder what he's doing right about now. It wouldn't surprise me if he's eating.

"He sounds like a great guy. Who else?" I nodded my head and smiled

"There is Sharpay Evans who is basically a princess. She wears mostly all pink. Her father is rich. She has a twin brother named Ryan who also is in our circle of friends. He is more laid back than Sharpay. He doesn't always want to be in the spot light, partly because Sharpay takes most of it up. They are both great people." Sharpay probably made it to Broadway by now.

"They sound like it. There's two more you didn't mention." He told me. I figure I'll save the best for last.

"Ok, next is Taylor Mckessie. She is a total geek who loves math. She is dating Chad and was best friends with Gabriella. I don't know if they still are. She was always the person we would go to when we needed advice. She acted very motherly whenever we went on trips." I thought back to the time she told us to behave while we were on a school trip out to dinner. It wasn't the rest of our faults that Chad stuck chop sticks up his nose and acted like a seal.

"Is Gabriella the last person?" He asked and I nodded my head.

"Gabriella Montez was not only my best friend, but she was also my girlfriend. Now ex-girlfriend. She was an all around amazing person. She has gorgeous brown long locks and these big brown eyes you could get lost in. She was very smart. Her favorite subject was science. God I love her. She fit perfectly into my arms. It was as if it were a puzzle piece. And her laugh was mesmerizing. She was so sweet and so beautiful." My mind drifted back to that cool day in July when we were all at the park, including my parents.

_Flashback_

"_Eat up guys and enjoy." My mom said while passing seconds out to everyone._

_Sitting around the picnic table was everyone except Gabriella. She couldn't come today. I got up from my place on the bench and walked over to my mother._

"_Ugh mom I'm so full. That food was delicious as always. Thanks for going though all this trouble. I love you." I told her as I gave her a kiss on the cheek._

"_It's my pleasure, Troy." She told me as she gave me a hug. I was never embarrassed to hug my mother in front of my friends. Heck, even my friends hugged my mother. They all loved my parents._

"_I'll take seconds." I heard Chad say with a mouthful._

"_I think you have more food in your hair than you do in your mouth." Taylor commented as she wrinkled her nose in disgust. _

_I looked over at Sharpay and noticed that she was once again texting. Ryan was watching in amazement how Chad could eat so much._

"_Troy come on, let's get a game going." I watched my father pick up a basketball. Before running over to him I made sure it was ok with my friends. _

_They all seemed content with what they were doing, so I walked over to him. _

"_First one to 15?" I asked him while taking the ball from him and making a clear shot into the hoop. My dad nodded his head_

"_Nice shot. One zero you." He told me and we began to play. _

_Half way though the game I noticed my friends huddling in a circle crying and hugging someone whom I couldn't see. Walking slowly over I noticed the circle beginning the spread out. I stopped dead in my tracks once I saw who it was. _

"_Gabriella," I whispered. She had tears running down her face. In an instant she ran towards me. I picked her up and held the shaking girl in my arms until she calmed down. It took about ten minutes until I heard only deep, shaky breaths._

"_What happened baby girl?" I asked. _

"_My mom is making me move. She got a better job. She promised I would be here until graduation. I don't want to leave. I don't want to have to break up with you. We both know long distance relationships don't last. I want to stay with you." I gently kissed her lips to keep her from her out spill of sentences. _

_My heart was breaking. The girl I loved was moving away. The girl I couldn't live a day without seeing was leaving me here alone. I knew it wasn't her fault. It wasn't her parents fault either. Her mom had to do it to keep her job._

"_Brie, listen to me. Sometimes in life we all have to do something we don't like. You don't know how much I'm going to miss you, but we have to let go. Don't let me hold you back. I will always love you no matter what. Keep the necklace I gave you. I love you baby." We both stood there crying and holding onto each other as if our lives depended on it. _

_I knew I would have to say goodbye. Her mother was in a cab right out side the park. Unwillingly I released her from my grip and gave her one last kiss on the lips and forehead._

"_Goodbye Brie." My voice broke as a said those words. And it broke even more when she replied, "Goodbye Troy."_

_End of Flashback_

"Do you still love her?" Carlos's question brought me out of my daydream.

"I never stopped." It was a simple reply, but it meant so much.

"I really appreciate all that you told me. Its getting late I think I'm going to head up to bed." He told me while rising from his seat.

"No problem, thanks for listening. Yea I'm beat; I'm going to go to sleep too."

I told him while following him up the stairs. The floorboard creaked as we made our way to the final step.

"Goodnight Troy," He told me while walking in the opposite direction

"Goodnight." I replied.

Walking into my room I changed into some sweats and a wife beater. As soon as I climbed into my bed, I fell asleep.

**Carlos's POV:**

Between the hours of 1am and 2am, I woke up to crying. It took me a minute to figure out it was Vanessa, but as soon as I did, I was out of bed and in her room within the next minute. There she sat on her bed crying and my heart broke. I hated to see her cry.

"Come here Vanny. It's ok; it was only a bad dream." I told her while bouncing her a little in attempts to calm her down. This didn't seem to help at all. She was crying just as hard as she was five minutes ago.

"Me want Twoy." She managed to hiccup out. I rubbed her back.

"What about daddy? Don't you want him?" I asked her. She used to be so close to me.

"No dada." She cried out. I sighed and made my way over to Troy's room. I guess her crying woke him up because when we got there he was stretching.

Troy's Pov:

I watched as Carlos brought in a hysterical Vanessa and I became worried.

"What's wrong?"

"Vanessa had a nightmare. She wants you. I'm sorry she disturbed your sleep." He told me. I shook my head.

"Not a problem. Hey cutie." Vanessa immediately reached for me once she heard my voice. As I rubbed her back, I heard her sobs become less and less.

"I uh am just going to uh make her some warm milk to help calm her down." I nodded at Carlos and watched him leave the room.

As I laid her down, she hid her face in my side. "It's ok nothings going to happen." I told her. Carlos appeared in the doorway holding her sippy cup.

"This should calm her down." He told me while handing me the warm cup of milk.

"Thanks." I told him. He nodded and retreated back to his room.

It took a little effort to pry her away from my side. Once I gave her the milk, she started to drink it. I'm glad her crying stopped. I could tell the milk was helping by the way her eyes were slowly dropping. While she was content drinking her milk, I settled my tired body back down in bed. I kept one hand on her though so she didn't fall off the bed. She wasn't used to this high of a bed. She had trouble getting out of the one she had and that was about 5 inches from the ground.

What I didn't expect was for me to fall asleep.

I woke up what I guessed was 2 hours later by a bang. Sitting up in bed I took my hand off of Vanessa. Wait. Vanessa? Ugh I must have fallen asleep. I looked out the window to see it raining. Then, a streak of lightening lit up the sky followed by a huge crash of thunder.

Vanessa whimpered and jostled in her sleep. Her cup lay forgotten on the ground. Her eyes slowly opened and I layed back down beside her.

**Carlos's Pov:**

As soon as the thunder woke me up, I got out of bed. Usually Vanessa would be in my room by now sleeping. She has always been terrified of storms. I panicked when I noticed that she wasn't in her bed.

Walking past Troy's room I walked back a little. I felt relieved yet sad when I noticed she was in Troy's bed. I watched how Troy pulled the covers over her small body and how he lined the side of the bed with pillows. It was almost like a railing so she didn't fall. I watched him as he talked quietly to her and I watched as her eyes closed despite the thunderstorm going on. Troy placed a hand over her body for support and closed his eyes.

I took a deep breath and let a tear trickle down my face as I quietly walked back to my room. I was loosing my baby girl.

**As you can tell, I worked really hard on this chapter so it would mean a lot to me if you would review. Please leave comments and suggestions. Thanks Borris for the idea of the nightmare. And a big thanks to my co-writer **_**ImmaHateFulCritic!**_


	5. Chapter 5

Troy's Pov:

**What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?**

**Troy's Pov:**

Tiny fingers poking my face woke me out of my dream. I opened my eyes to find that Vanessa had crawled over to me and started to poke my face. Reaching my hand out I tickled her to get her to stop.

"Do you ever sleep past 7?" I asked.

"Me no sleepy." She said while crawling over to the bottom of the bed. Once she looked down and saw how high she was, she whimpered.

As much as I didn't want to, I pulled the covers off of my body, leaned over to Vanessa and picked her up. Placing her on the floor, she ran out of the room. She couldn't get into too much trouble considering she was afraid to go on the staircase by herself.

Getting out of bed, I started to make my bed. Carlos had a maid, but I was used to doing it anyway. Tucking in the right side, I picked the pink cup off the floor and put it on the nightstand. The picture of my parents was situated next to the cup, which caused me to pick it up.

God it missed them. I traced their faces with my finger. It seems like only yesterday I was telling them to have fun at that party.

After placing the picture down on the chair next to the desk, I went to find Vanessa.

Walking out of the room, Vanessa came running towards me. Well, that wasn't hard to find her.

"I hungry," she pouted.

Taking her downstairs we both enjoyed a breakfast of eggs and sausages. Going back upstairs, I grabbed a bunch of her toys from her room and put them in mine. I needed to take a shower and didn't want to leave her with Martin while he was trying to wash the dishes.

"I'm going to take a quick shower. Play with your toys and before you know it, I'll be out, ok?" I explained while placing her on the floor. Not wanting her to leave, I closed the door to my room.

"Otay." She said while sitting down.

After grabbing some fresh clothes, I walked into the bathroom. My shower only lasted about 10 minutes. Getting out, I dried myself off and got dressed; I walked out of the bathroom.

Vanessa was running around the room while holding something in her hands.

"Hey Nessa, whatcha got there?" Taking a closer look, I noticed she was holding a picture. Not just any picture, but the only picture I had left to remember my parents.

She only giggled and waved the picture around.

"Vanessa Hudgens come here and give me that." I sternly told her. She immediately stopped running and I walked over to her.

"You do not take things that aren't yours." Taking the picture out of my hand she started to whimper. I walked over to the dresser and put the picture in, slamming it shut. This caused Vanessa to cry. How could she take something to important to me?

I stormed out of the room. Hearing someone following me, I turned around. Vanessa stopped walking when I turned around. She was hysterically crying and that's when it hit me. She's just two years old. She probably didn't know what she was doing.

Walking back over towards her, she stepped back. I didn't mean to make her scared of me.

"I'm sorry I yelled Nessa. I won't yell anymore." She stopped moving back as soon as I said this. Taking her in my arms, she clung to me. I rubbed her back in attempts to calm her down, which she did within 10 minutes.

**Carlos' POV**

I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel of my car as I drove to my office building. I'd woken up early from the streams of sunlight shining just above my eyes. And having trouble falling back into any signs of slumber, I forced my tired body out of bed, making myself get to work, early as it was.

The heat from the shower stirred my limp body awake. I felt cold this morning. I've been so used to Vanessa sneaking into my room and snuggling with me during the middle of the night.

The reminiscence of my own daughter rushing through my head, I quickly changed after my shower into my usual business attire before, softly as possible, making my way towards Troy's room to check if she was still there.

Creaking the door open, I found her huddled into a tiny ball-like figure, nestled into Troy's breathing chest. A pang of hurt was suddenly stabbed into me. Though she is just two years old and a mere toddler, Vanessa is really all I have that's close to me now. Ever since her mother had taken off and left, I've been willing to spend all the time I have available with her. I was afraid of losing her, she was my little girl.

But now, as I drove in silence to work, I couldn't help but feel forgotten for the past few days or so.

Unbuckling my seatbelt, I walked quietly through the hazy morning mist towards the front revolving doors of the office building with my brief case in hand.

I waited patiently in the elevator, until I heard the familiar "ping" and saw the light, signaling we were now on floor three turn on.

Moments later, the doors finally slid open, revealing Maria, my secretary of about three years. "Good morning Mr. Hudgens," she greeted with a warm smile on her face, "You're here awfully early."

"I'm afraid I just couldn't fall back to sleep," I replied with a small yawn.

She giggled softly, "Well the earlier you arrive the earlier you can come

home!"

"Well that's true," I chuckled before I began to walk towards my office door.

"Oh wait! Mr. Hudgens!" I heard her yell as I placed my hand on the shiny knob.

Halting, I called back, "Yes?"

"Remember! I won't be here during..." she had trailed off the last of her sentence, therefore, I returned to her desk to hear her more clearly.

"Come again?"

"I won't be able to be here around one to take any calls for you. I will be having lunch with my daughter today, I haven't really spent much time with her in a while," she announced.

I nodded my head, completely understanding, when I caught a glimpse of a picture on her desk. "Is that her?" I asked, pointing at the framed photograph.

She nodded proudly, "Yes, that was her at her scholastic decathlon's championship. She won as always, that's her holding up her trophy."

I squinted my eyes, trying to read the tiny engraved letters, "Gabriella Montez."

My eyes widened into baseballs, wondering how that name felt so familiar.

"Maria?" I asked, some what out of the blue.

She looked up from her desk top computer before answering with a "yes" giving me all of her attention.

"Wwhat's your last name?" I questioned, probably sounding so stupid for not knowing my secretary of three whole years' surname.

"Um...Montez, sir."

Suddenly, recollections of memories from the chat with Troy last night flashed through my head as if struck by lightning. I glanced at the picture once more, making sure Troy's description of her fit.

I stared intently at her face, barely noticing Maria furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. He was right, Troy was absolutely correct. The young girl was gorgeous. And exactly as Troy had described, she had dark ebony locks tumbling past her shoulders and big, deep brown twinkling eyes.

"Mmaria? Would you, um, mind if I, uh, tag a long with you to lunch? I'm interested in meeting your daughter, I think she's a former friend of my...friend." I asked, not wanting to sound...as strange as I already have,

"It'll only take up a few moments though."

She cocked her head slightly to the left, a quizzical look on her face, "Uh...alright. If you wish." Then, she turned back to her computer, the same curious emotion pasted on her face.

I, as well, turned back around towards my office door, excitement racing through me for both Troy and I, as I gripped onto my briefcase until my knuckles turned into a pale violet with anticipation for later today. The day seemed to be teasing me. It was probably one of the slowest days of the year and it was not helping at all. The ticking of the clock above the door was mocking me as well, as if laughing in my face. I was just about to burst out from excitement; I really needed to make sure this was the right girl. I mean, what if I had Troy meet up with her, but she was just a look-alike! I would have gotten his hopes so high and then have to watch it get crushed into smithereens if I wasn't absolutely right.

Plus, I really felt that I had to do something special for the boy. Though he's already thankful enough for letting him stay with us, he deserves so much more after what he's been through. I can't even imagine what I would have done without knowing where I could actually sleep for the night.

A loud tick of the clock echoed through the room, it was now 1:00 PM, the exact time Maria said she would be meeting her daughter.

Making sure I had set an alarm for my pager for about fifteen minutes, not wanting to impose or interrupt that much of their bonding time, I dashed out as quickly as possible out of the office. I met up with Maria at her front desk, her coat was in hand and she waved her hand towards the elevator, indicating me to follow her out of the building.

As we stepped outside, the cold breeze of the late December air blew against us as we walked along the sidewalk.

"So...does your daughter know that I'll be joining you two for a few minutes?" I asked, trying to engage in, if any, conversation.

"Oh, yes she does know," Maria answered, "But she did accuse me of having an affair with my boss," she laughed. "But it's alright, she's fine with it."

I replied with a nod and a small smile. Her daughter must think that she's

meeting a lunatic who just wants to meet her randomly.

Realizing we stopped, I faced a small cafe, smelling the fresh servings of food. "Gabriella is probably inside by now, we should go in."

I nodded once more, feeling a bit like a bobble head, as we walked inside, feeling the temperature raise as the warm aroma of coffee danced around the small restaurant.

"Hi Hun!" I heard Maria suddenly call.

Turning towards her voice, I found her hugging a petite young girl. When they released from their embrace, the teenager suddenly became aware of my presence and began to stare at me with raised eyebrows.

Maria, also noticing the eye contact immediate said, "I assure you Gabriella, the relationship between Mr. Hudgens' and I is completely platonic."

"Whatever you say mom," Gabriella rolled her eyes, filled with amusement.

Maria sighed before her grin reappeared, "Anyways, Gabriella, this is my boss

Mr. Hudgens."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the young girl greeted, shaking my hand.

I smiled warmly, Troy has very good taste. "The pleasure is all mine."

Soon, the three of us had sat down on a small, circular table. The two had been caught in a conversation, one that had simply begun with "How has your day been so far?" While I sat in between the two grinning like a mad man.

Their relationship was incredible and touching. Even if Maria had explained that she hasn't really spent much time with her in a while, they seemed more like best friends then mother and daughter. The two had been laughing and giggling and just basically conversing with each other just so naturally and so freely without any hints of awkwardness. I could only pray and dream of having such a conversation between my own little girl and I when she would be at this age.

"So Mr. Hudgens?" I was snapped out of my deep thought after hearing those three words coming out of the teenage girl beside me.

"Oh! Gabriella, please, oh and you too Maria, you really don't need to call me Mr. or sir, I find it a bit too old really. Plus, Maria, you're only a few years younger than me," I said.

"Um, ok," Gabriella shrugged her shoulders, "But not trying to sound rude at all, but...erm, please tell me again why you wanted to meet me?"

It just occurred to me that I had been so caught up with just watching the two women interact with each other that I had almost completely forgotten the real intention that I had to actually meet the girl. "Ah! Yes! I'm afraid I almost forgot," I pointed out, "Um, but Gabriella?"

"Yes?" she replied sweetly.

"Did you, by any chance, have a boyfriend a few years ago by the name of Troy Bolton?" I breathed out rather quickly, trying oh so hard not to sound so intruding.

The girl blinked a few times, almost as if making sure she heard me correctly, "Ttroy Bbbolton?"

"uh...yes?" I answered in more of a question, afraid that it was a bad idea to ask such a personal question.

Gabriella glanced at her mother quickly, noticing Maria had an unreadable emotion and was fiddling with her fingers, before shutting her eyes tightly, inhaling rather deeply and answering with a confident, "Yes, why do you ask?"

I felt explosions of happiness erupt in the pit of my stomach, Troy will be thrilled! I can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds out that I had just found the love of his life.

A grin grew and curled up my cheeks, until it vanished at another thought. What if Gabriella had a new boyfriend? That would also crush Troy. "Gabriella, do you have a new boyfriend?" I asked instead, not bothering to answer her question.

"Um...no," she said rather softly.

I kind of felt...well, awful. I felt awful. I just met this nice young lady a few moments ago, and I've gotten her almost pinned against a wall as I fire personal questions at her.

I notice Gabriella staring at Maria with pleading eyes. Then, her mother, as if reading her mind, nodded and opened her own mouth, "Uh...Gabriella hasn't really been that fond with those sort of questions ever since she had to breakup with Troy after the move from Albuquerque. She's been devastated actually and hasn't actually been in a serious relationship since then but, really sir erm, Carlos, why do you ask?"

I opened my own mouth to answer when a buzzing vibrating was felt in my pants. Quickly searching through my pockets, I found my pager with a beeping red alarm clock symbol reminding me I should really start heading back to work. I smiled at the family, "I guarantee, you both, that my reasons are completely understandable." I assured them, "But please, to make up for any feelings of discomfort, I'd like to invite you both to my home this weekend. But I really must go, thanks for the time."

As I stood up to leave the puzzled Montez', I immediately added, "But Gabriella, please do come. I think you'll find the visit rather enjoyable." Then I headed back to the office, even more excited than before. Once again, the rest of the day seemed to mock me for it ran even slower than this morning. But when the long awaited time had arrived, I flew out the door and sped out of the parking lot.

Driving as fast as legally possible back home, I burst threw the front door with my arms spread for my daily welcoming hug from Vanessa.

I waited there patiently with my arms spread out like a food before I finally let them drop in disappointment. This really wasn't like her, sometimes, she would even wait for me outside with Martin.

Moments later, Troy's door opened, revealing a him and a smiling Vanessa attached to his hip, the awful feeling of being left out crept into my chest again.

"Oh hey Carlos! How was your day?" Troy asked.

My frown, literally, turned upside down, "I had a very interesting day."

**We hope you like it. Please review and leave suggestions. This chapter was split between me and ImmaHatefulCritic. She did Carlos's Pov and I did Troy's. **


	6. Chapter 6

What Happened t

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Carlos's Pov:**

My room was cold this morning. Frost formed on the windows creating the perfect Christmas morning. This was the first time where it has snowed on Christmas day since before Vanessa was born. Taking my warm covers off from around my body, I was met with the chill of early morning. My feet patted against the floor as I made my way into my daughters room.

It was equally chilly in her room. She sat on her bed hugging her teddy bear. By the looks of it, she had just woken up.

"Merry Christmas, Vanessa." This seemed to brighten her day. She smiled and clapped her hands together.

"Where Twoy?" She asked. Giving her a sad smile, I bent down in front of her.

"We have to be extra nice to him today because he is sad. Try not to ask him to play with you to much, ok?" I told her and then stood up. Picking her up from her place on the bed, I set her on the floor.

"Me loves Twoy," She said quietly.

"Troy loves you too and so do I." Walking over to her dresser, I opened the drawer. In the drawer lay her winter clothes full of socks, long sleeve shirts, pants, hats, and gloves. Taking out some clothes, I closed the drawer and sat down in front of Vanessa.

After taking off her fleece pajamas I replaced it with a pair of warm green sweat pants and a red long sleeve shirt with a picture of reindeer on the front. Her socks had little candy canes covering the bottoms to keep her from slipping on the hard wood floor. I then picked up the grey sweatshirt next to me which had a picture of Santa Clause on the front saying 'Santa's Little Helper.'

I smiled as I walked out of the room with her in my arms. This was the first time since Troy has been here that she has let me dress her and hold her. The floor creaked as I walked down the hallway. Stopping for a minute, I turned the knob on the thermostat, instantly hearing the heat kick in. Continuing my journey down the hall, I came to my destination. Troy's Room.

Not wanting to disturb him, I silently peaked into the room. The picture I saw was just heartbreaking. Troy sat on the edge of his bed. His head was in his hands as his shoulders heaved up and down. By this simple motion I could tell he was silently crying. I couldn't just stand here and watch. Today was supposed to be a happy day.

Walking into the room with Vanessa in my arms, she started to squirm once she saw Troy. I had to give her a stern look to make her stop. Troy must have heard me coming in because saw him pick his head up and quickly wipe his face free of the tears that were falling rapidly. I heard him sniffle a few times before he stood up and looked at me. All I felt for him was sympathy when I saw him. It looked as if he hadn't gotten any sleep all night.

"Uh hey," He said. His voice was shaky.

"Listen, why don't you take some time for yourself today? We don't have to do presents till later. Go down to the cemetery, I'll give you the keys," I told him while adjust Vanessa in my arms. She was getting fussy from being hungry. I knew he wanted to visit his parents today.

"Yea, ok, thanks," He spoke softly with his head down. Reaching his arms out he took a fussy Vanessa from my arms. Once she was in his arms, I watched her rest her head on his shoulder.

"You don't have to take her today. You probably want to be by yourself," I said while holding my arms out to Vanessa. She made no attempt to come back into my arms.

"No, it's ok. I said I would take care of Vanessa everyday. Plus, if you don't mind, I would like her to keep me company today. It might take my mind off of things." He told me while slipping on his shoes. I nodded my head and patted him on the back, silently paying my respects to him. No teenage boy should have to go through this.

"Wait before I forger," I tossed him my car keys. He immediately tossed them back, which confused me.

"I don't need the car. This was my parent's home town, remember? So they were buried here. I'll just walk and take the stroller. It's only a five minute walk." He told me. Before he left the room to walk downstairs, he grabbed his newly bought phone off the counter along with his wallet that was filled with his first paycheck of the 500 dollars I gave him yesterday. It took awhile before I convinced him to take it. He of course thought it was way too much money.

Following him downstairs I watched him settle Vanessa in the stroller. She whimpered when she was taken away from his arms. He strapped her in and secured a hat on her head. I smiled as I watched him tuck her blanket around her, making sure she was warm. After placing a bagel in her hands, he gave her the pink sippy cup filled with juice and put an extra cup and some dry cereal in a bag under the stroller.

He nodded at me before he walked out the door. I however took this time to decorate the tree, getting it ready for when they come back.

I was only an hour into decorating when I heard the doorbell go off. Sighing, I put the box filled with ornaments on the couch and walked over to the door.

Turing the knob and opening the door, I was met with a young girl dressed in a purple juicy couture sweat suit.

"Hello Gabriella, Maria, please come in," I motioned with my hand to the living room. They followed me into the living room and we all took a seat. Gabriella and her mother were on the couch, while I was situated on the chair across from them.

"Alright, I'm about to tell you something that might come to some sort of shock to you both," I told them. They nodded their heads signaling for me to continue.

"About a week ago I found a homeless man outside of our office." I started.

"Not to be rude or anything, but what does that have to do with us?" Gabriella asked.

"Well that man that was homeless outside of our office was Troy Bolton. He is living with me now. His parents passed away while driving home from a party. Today is the anniversary of their death." I explained.

Gabriella put her head in her hands and started to shake and sob. Maria rubbed her daughters back while wiping her own tears that were falling from her cheeks. I watched as Maria pulled her daughter into her arms.

Wanting to give them some time, I got up from my place on the chair and went to retrieve a box of tissues. Placing them on the table, Maria reached for one and gave it to her daughter.

"Yyou said hhe live her. Wwwhere is hhe?" Gabirella said once she gained her voice back.

"Well, he is at the cemetery visiting his parents. I'm sure if you went over there, you would certainly brighten his day." She nodded her head and stood up.

"Maria, why don't we go into the kitchen and have some coffee, then if you like while we are waiting for them to return, you could help me finish up the tree." I offered her. She agreed and then said goodbye to Gabriella. We watched Gabriella close the door behind her before I showed Maria into the kitchen.

Troy's Pov:

Once I got to the cemetery I started to look for my parents graves. It was a good thing they were in alphabetical order, so it didn't take to long to find. The cemetery was beautiful. There was soft music playing in the background. Bette Midler, I think

_Ohhhh, oh, oh, oh, ohhh.  
It must have been cold there in my shadow,  
to never have sunlight on your face.  
You were content to let me shine, that's your way.  
You always walked a step behind._

Vanessa started to get fussy, so I took her out of the stroller and sat her in my lap infront of my parent's graves.

_So I was the one with all the glory,  
while you were the one with all the strain.  
A beautiful face without a name for so long.  
A beautiful smile to hide the pain._

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Hey mom, hey dad. I know this is the first time I came and I would like to apologize. You have done so many things for me throughout my life and it was wrong for me to repay you by not coming to your funeral. I just couldn't bring myself here. It hurt too much. It hurt me to think about seeing my parents get lowered into the ground. I wasn't strong enough."

_Did you ever know that you're my hero,  
and everything I would like to be?  
I can fly higher than an eagle,  
for you are the wind beneath my wings._

"A lot has happened since 3 years ago. I know you don't want to hear this. You probably know by now from looking down on me from heaven. I ran away from everything. I just couldn't take it anymore. All the sympathy everyone was going to give me. I was homeless for three years. It was difficult, but I managed. I used money from when I used to work at that job before, well you know what happened. It wasn't a lot, but it gave me a meal a day." I wiped the tears that were falling down my face.

_It might have appeared to go unnoticed,  
but I've got it all here in my heart.  
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it.  
I would be nothing without you._

"I am so sorry I wasn't there for you. My world crashed once I heard the news. I miss you guys so much. You guys were my everything. You gave me so much and for that I am eternally grateful." Taking a deep breath, I began again.

_Did you ever know that you're my hero?  
You're everything I wish I could be.  
I could fly higher than an eagle,  
for you are the wind beneath my wings._

"About a week ago a nice man found me. I think you know him. His name is Carlos Montez. He said you were his best friends during high school. He was extremely generous for taking me under his wing. This man is giving me so much. Everything from food to money." I looked down at Vanessa and found her sleeping.

_Did I ever tell you you're my hero?  
You're everything, everything I wish I could be.  
Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle,  
for you are the wind beneath my wings,  
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings._

"Carlos gave me a job. I didn't allow him to let me stay unless I did something for him. I take care of his daughter during the day. Her name is Vanessa and she's two year old. She's really adorable. You guys would love her." I told them while taking a stray hair out of Vanessa's eyes.

_Oh, the wind beneath my wings.  
You, you, you, you are the wind beneath my wings.  
Fly, fly, fly away. You let me fly so high.  
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.  
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings._

"I should get going. Carlos is expecting us back soon. I'll visit you guys more often, I promise. I love and miss you both. Merry Christmas." After wiping the final tear from my eyes, I carefully stood up and placed Vanessa back in the stroller.

_Fly, fly, fly high against the sky,  
so high I almost touch the sky.  
Thank you, thank you,  
thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings._

Taking the blanket, I covered Vanessa's sleeping form back up. Grabbing onto the handles of the stroller I picked my head up. I couldn't believe who I saw in front of me. At first, I thought I was dreaming. Standing in front of my was the girl I loved with all my heart.

**Gabriella's Pov:**

My breath hitched in my throat. I stopped walking and just stared. There he was right in front of me. My first and only love. He looked the same. I noticed the stroller he had with him and the little girl sleeping peacefully. Was it his? We were both frozen not knowing what to do. The winter air created icicles around our feet. The sun above us thawed our frozen bodies.

"Hhi." I studdered.

"Hi." He looked amazed. Ugh screw this. I dropped the bag, also known as my purse and ran straight for him. I watched as he moved to the side of the stroller and opened his arms. Time seemed to pass by slowly. It's like it was all in slow motion. It felt like I was running forever.

Finally, I came close. I jumped into his strong arms and he spun me around. My arms wove around his neck and my legs wrapped around his waist. We cried into each others necks for what seemed like an hour. His hand was secured on my head while his other arm supported my body.

I pulled back to look at him. Even though the tears blurred my vision, he still looked gorgeous.

"Hey beautiful." He spoke quietly while using the pad of his thumb to wipe my tears. I smiled and hugged him for the second time, not being able to get enough of him. We had been apart for so long.

"I missed you," I told him while he set me back on my feet.

"You have no idea," He told me while tangling his hands in my hair.

**Troy's Pov:**

Just as we finished our reunion a certain someone decided to wake up. I bent down and took her out of her stroller. Vanessa looked up at Gabriella.

"Who dat?" Vanessa pointed.

"That is Gabriella. She's one of my very, very good friends." I told her while smiling at Gabriella.

"Ttroy? Is she yours?" Gabriella asked. I felt bad; it's probably how it looked.

"No, I just watch her everyday." As soon as I said this, Gabriella looked relieved and walked over towards Vanessa.

"Hi Sweetheart!" Gabriella tickled Vanessa's stomach.

"She's Carlos's isn't she?" She asked me. I gave her a confused look.

"He's the one who found me. My mom works with him and I guess he put the pieces together. You must have told him my name or something." She said while I wrapped my free arm around her petite form.

"Well then, I'll have to remember to thank him, won't I?" She smiled and the three of us walked out of the cemetery, me pushing Vanessa in the stroller while I linked my hand with Gabriella's.

**Well tell me how you liked it and review, please. Also ideas for next chapter are always welcome and appreciated. I hope you liked it.**


	7. Chapter 7

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov:**

The air was crisp as Vanessa, Gabriella, and I strolled out of the cemetery. I almost couldn't believe what happened was real. Words could not explain how thankful I was to Carlos.

"So what have you been up to these past few years?" My thumb caressed the back of her hand softly as I asked her. She locked eyes with me before answering.

"Well, since the move, I got accepted into U of A. I am now in my last year and studying to become a teacher." She told me. I was so proud of her. It was always her dream to become a teacher.

"Wow, congratulations! Do you have any idea what grade your going to teach?"

"I'm hoping to either teach kindergarten or preschool." I nodded my head.

"So what about you Mr. Mom? What's new in your life?" She nudged me with her shoulder as I laughed.

"Uh, I live with Carlos to help take care of Vanessa. Things have been really great these last few years." My voice shook as I spoke. As soon as I said this she stopped walking and turned to me.

"Troy, you don't have to lie to me. I know everything." She told me while running the hand through my hair.

"Well then now you know what a bum I am." Looking down in embarrassment, my head was soon picked up by her finger.

"Troy Bolton don't you ever say that. I would call you a bunch of names, but bum isn't one of them. You have a little girl right there who loves you. Carlos cares for you like a son." My arms wrapped around her petite form and I pulled her into my body.

"So uh what would some of those names be?" I whispered into her ear.

"Some of those words include a great guy any girl would be lucky to have." She wrapped her arms around my neck and I smiled against her neck.

"Will you be that lucky girl?" I asked her quietly.

Her giggle filled my ears. "Did you really need to ask?" Those words made me the happiest man alive. It felt good to have my girl back in my arms once again. It's been too long.

After spinning her around, I settled her back on her feet and pulled her into a needed kiss. The kiss was filled with gentleness, passion, love, and longing. It was perfect. Three years without her was too long.

We pulled away due to the sound of Vanessa crying. Sighing, I walked around to the front of the stroller and picked up a crying Vanessa. She started fussing and turning in my arms.

"What's wrong Nessa, don't like another girl in my arms?" I asked her while trying to hold onto the squirming two year old.

It looked like she had had enough of being in the stroller. Setting her down on the floor, she walked in the middle of Gabriella and me. She had one of our hands gripped on each side of her.

It didn't take too long for us to walk home, only about 10 minutes. Opening the door, we stopped once we saw inside. It was completely decorated. The tree was up in beautiful lights. There was tinsel wrapped around the staircase.

"Uhh guys, look up." We were shook out of our thoughts by Carlos and Maria coming into the room.

Looking up, I found that Gabriella and I were standing under the mistletoe. Smiling, I leaned it and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"So I take it the reunion went well?" Carlos asked while picking up the jacket that Vanessa threw on the floor.

"Let's just say we are never separating again." I told him while walking into the living room, hand in hand with Gabi.

"Why don't we do presents now? I asked Maria to bring hers along with her so they are all under the tree." Everyone nodded at Carlos's comment and followed me and Gabriella. We all took a seat. Gabi and I were situated on the couch with Vanessa on my lap, while Carlos and Maria were sitting on the floor next to the tree.

I took a deep breath as Carlos handed out the first gift. The first one was for Gabriella from her mother.

My leg began to shake rapidly. I glanced at the clock ticking slowly on the wall. It began to get louder and louder.

"Oh thank you Mom." I watched as Gabriella ran over to her mother and hugged her causing them both to fall over laughing. A knife seemed  
to stab my heart as I watched everyone else interact with their family, while I felt a bit left out.

I couldn't take it anymore. I had to get out of here.

"Ahem, I am uh just going to use the restroom. I'll be back in a few." I didn't wait for them to respond. Instead, I took Vanessa off my lap and sat her on the couch once I stood up.

She immediately reached up to me as I set her down. Without looking anyone in the eye, I made my way upstairs and into my room.

**Gabi's Pov:**

I watched as Troy made his way up the stairs. Something wasn't right. His face said it all. It was a mix between hurt, and sadness. He lied about needing to use the restroom.

Getting up from my falling place on the floor, I smoothed out the wrinkles in my shirt. Excusing myself from the room, I quickly climbed the stairs. From the hallway, I could still hear Vanessa crying down there. Wait, it wasn't only Vanessa crying. Walking closer to Troy's room, the cried got louder.

Walking into his room I found him laying on his big. A picture was gripped in his hands while tears were running down his face. As quietly as I could, I made my way over to his bed and lay next to him.

My arms wrapped around him. His head buried into my neck and his arms wrapped around me. Not a word was spoken. And you know what? No words were needed. Just the comfort of someone else was enough. Just to know that the other person was there for you was perfect.

All someone needs to do is take this say one moment at a time, one minute at a time, one second at a time. I wasn't about to tell him to forget about it and move on. I wasn't about keep him from doing something that no one could stop. In order to get through something, one needs to cry. Sometimes crying is all you can do to take the pain away. That, and have a friend with you, or in this case, his girlfriend, me.

About half an hour later I heard him gain some composure. He calmed down and rolled me onto his stomach.

I kissed his forehead and ran the back of my hand over his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into my hand.

"Mmm that feels nice," He mumbled. His eyes opened slowly.

"You want to talk, wildcat?" I asked him as I laid my head on his chest. I could feel his heartbeat and it calmed me.

"I don't want to talk about what just happened." He told me. I understood. He just wasn't ready.

"Alright, well I'm sure you want to know about the gang. How about we talk about them to take you mind off things." I watched as Troy graciously nodded his head.

**Troy's Pov:**

"They all live within five minutes of us believe it or not. Chad has finally asked Taylor to go out with him. Sharpay is dating Zeke. She runs a theater school while Zeke has his own restaurant. Ryan is dating Martha and is out of his sister's shadow." She told me everything to from what school they went to; to what each person is doing for Christmas. Too bad they were all busy.

"What do you say, we go downstairs and finish up with the presents?" She said while getting up. I gave her an unsure look.

"Don't worry; I'll be there right next to you." She told me while holding out her hand for me to take. Reluctantly, I took it and walked out of the room with her.

As we walked back into the living room Vanessa came running towards me, whimpering. Bending down I picked her up and settled her into my arms. She clung to me as I rubbed her back. Sitting down on the couch with Gabriella, Vanessa still didn't show any signs of letting go. Her hands were gripped to my t-shirt while her legs were tightly around my waist- not that they fully went around.

Once she saw the present Carlos was handing her, she let go and took the present from his hands. She tore it open as fast as she could.

Her eyes grew big once she saw what I got her. Licking her face was a small black dog. Her giggle filled the room as she hugged the tail wagging dog.

"Gentle Nessa," I told her while picking up the dog from her arms and giving it to Gabriella to hold.

"What do you say to Troy, Vanessa?" I heard Carlos say.

Vanessa turned her head to me and flung her arms around me.

"Tank you daddy!"

**You guys make my day when you review, so please do! I hope you liked it. Thanks to **_**ImmaHatefulCritic**_** for the help!**


	8. Chapter 8

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

Troy's Pov:

No one could move. Not a sound was made. You could cut the tension with a knife. I was frozen in a room that was probably 78 degrees.

I looked around the room at each person. Gabriella was wide-eyed. The puppy in her hands was busy licking Vanessa's hand. Vanessa of course didn't know what happened so she was playing with the puppy.

Maria Montez had her hand over her jaw-dropped-mouth. She sat still looking at Carlos. As for Carlos, he had a mix between shock and anger shone on his face. His fists curled up in tight balls. I watched him get up from his sitting place on the ground and start walking over to me.

"Look, Carlos, I didn't tell her to say that. She didn't mean it." I could tell by his face that he was furious. He grabbed Vanessa off of my lap cause her to scream and protest.

"Let go." I watched as Vanessa twisted and turned in her fathers arms trying to break free.

"Vanessa, stop it this instant." Carlos yelled at her. This only seemed to upset Vanessa more. He carried the screaming toddler up the stairs.

Gabriella took me out of my thought by grabbing my hand. Turning to her, she wrapped her arms around me.

"He's just upset. Give him a minute or two to calm down. It's going to be ok." She played with the hair on the nape of my neck.

"I didn't tell her to say that." I told her repeating what I said to Carlos. I felt her nod her head against my chest.

"I know you didn't."

"I think I'm going to go upstairs and talk to him." I told her while getting ready to stand up.

"Do you want me to come with you?" She asked. Smiling, I shook my head 'no'.

"No thanks sweetheart. This is something I have to do myself." Before I left, I placed a gently kiss on her forehead.

Carlos's Pov:

Slamming the door closed, I put the hysterical two year old on my bed. How could she think Troy was her father? If Troy hadn't come home with me at all, she would still think that I'm her father.

"Listen to me Vanessa, stop crying." Of course she didn't stop crying. She started hiccupping trying to catch her breath.

"Troy is not your father. I am your father." I was furious. She had been spending way too much time with Troy.

I was interrupted by someone knocking on the door. Sighing loudly, I turned around and opened the door. Standing in front of me was the person I didn't want to see.

"Carlos, look, I know you probably don't want to talk to me right now, but I think we should." Taking a deep breath, I nodded my head. It didn't look like he was giving up anytime soon.

Once we sat on the bed, Vanessa crawled over towards him. I watched as Troy made no attempt to pick her up. His hands sat in his lap. Vanessa grabbed his shirt and used it to pull herself up.

Picking Vanessa up, I placed her on the opposite of Troy, by my left side. She started to cry again.

"I am uh going to take tomorrow off and spend it with Vanessa. She seems to be confused about who her real father is." I mumbled the last part.

"Do you really think that's fair to her? She is just two. She probably doesn't even know what she said."

"I think she did. Stay away from her from now on until she knows who her real father is." I told him. I watched him leave the room, slamming the door on his way out.

Troy's Pov:

As soon as I saw Gabriella, I started to calm down a little. Walking over to her, she stood up and I took her into my arms. Her hair smelled of the same familiar sweet strawberry shampoo that I loved.

"How'd it go?" She asked me after a few moments.

"I'm more upset about the way he is handling it, than what actually happened. He doesn't want me around her for right now." I told her while running my hand through her curls.

"Anything I can do?" I thought about it for a minute.

"Well Brie, it might help me if you join me for lunch tomorrow." Hearing her giggle, I knew it was a yes. That, and she also nodded her head. I kissed her before she and her mother walked out of the house. God I missed that girl.

Once they were out of the house, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Right now the only thing I wanted to do was go to sleep. It had been a really eventful day. I took out the dog bowl I had bought in advance and filled it before leaving the room. As I walked up the stairs, the floorboards creaked.

Right when I got up stairs, I went into my room and closed the door. I then took off my worn out shoes and climbed onto the bed not even bothering to change out of my sweatpants. I just slipped my shirt off leaving me in a white tank top. I heard the cries of Vanessa as Carlos tried to put her to bed. She was screaming for me.

A few minutes later I heard him close her door. She was still crying. I couldn't believe he was leaving her like that.

An hour past and my eyes darted up at the ceiling trying to take my mind off the screaming. No such use.

Quietly, I got out of bed and opened my door. Without so much as making the floorboards creak, I managed to make my way to Carlos room. Thankfully, it was open a crack so I was able to look in. My eyes closed and I shook my head. He was sound asleep while his daughter was hysterically crying.

Making my way to Vanessa's room, I slipped inside. Immediately I noticed a plate of food on her dresser with her cup filled with what looked like milk. Did he expect her to get off her bed and reach it all the way up there? Walking over to her, I picked her up.

Once she noticed it was me, she dug her face into my shoulder.

"Shh shhh alright, it's ok," I told her while swaying her from side to side.

As she was calming down, I noticed something wet on my hand. Switching her to my arm, I pulled back her pants a little. Figures, Carlos didn't even change her into pull-ups. He probably just put her on the bed and left her there.

Setting her on the floor, she clung to my leg. Almost as if she was afraid I would leave. I took out a pair of new pajamas and started to change her. Once I was done, I put the soiled pajamas into the sink in the bathroom, and then picked Vanessa back up.

Taking a seat in the rocking chair, I sat her down on my lap. With my free hand, I reached out for the plate on the dresser and took a piece of chicken from it. Putting the chicken up to her lips she opened her mouth and took it from me.

It took her a little while longer to finish her dinner than usual, but that's understandable since she was so upset before. Giving her the milk, she curled up in my lap. Within seconds she was fast asleep, worn out from the day she has had.

Carefully, I stood up and placed her into her bed. She didn't stir once. I walked back into my room, finally able to go to sleep.

About twelve hours later I woke up to the sounds of crying, once again. Looking over at the clock I noticed it was 10:30. Ugh I woke up late. I only have an hour before I need to meet Gabriella.

After taking a shower and getting dressed, I wrote down a note for Carlos. I couldn't listen to Vanessa crying anymore. It was hurting me. Walking downstairs with it, I checked on Vanessa without her seeing me. Carlos was trying to shove a spoonful of oatmeal in her mouth while she was crying. He should know that isn't a smart idea. He was making a mess, plus he should try to calm her down first. I was glad to see that Carlos filled the dog bowl up for the yet-to-be-names-puppy. Before anyone could see me I placed the note on the counter and walked out the door to meet Gabriella.

Without even walking into the diner, I found Gabriella waiting for me on a bench outside. She looked gorgeous. She had on a dark pair of skinny jeans. Ugg boots occupied her shoe attire. Her shirt attire cracked me up. It was my old wildcat sweatshirt with the word 'Bolton' on the back.

"Hey babe, nice outfit." I greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.

"Thought you might like it," she said while I linked hands with her and started to walk in.

"Table for two." I told the receptionist. She took us immediately. Letting Gabriella go first I kept my hand on the small of her back while we walked . The table was in a secluded part of the room. Looking around I found it fairly empty.

"So what are you going to have?" I asked Gabriella once I picked my menu up. Almost instantly she put hers down.

"Well let's see if you can still remember." She told me as the waitress approached.

"What can I get for you guys?" I watched as the waitress took out her pen and paper. Turning to Gabriella I gave her a challenging look.

"She will have a burger, no onions, pickles, or cheese, a side of fries and a chocolate milk shake. I will have a cheese burger, no onions, a side of fries, and a coke." Once the waitress left, I gave Gabriella a smirk.

"Does that satisfy your needs, Sweetheart?" I asked her while taking her hand in mine above the table.

"Right down to the milkshake." She smirked at me.

The service was really quick. It only took about ten minutes for us to get our food. It took us about 20 minutes for us to become full.

"That was really good," I sighed. Gabriella was too full to even talk. She just nodded her head.

"So where would you like to go next?" I asked her while rubbing my thumb over the top of her hand.

"I was thinking maybe we could take a walk." I nodded my head.

Suddenly I heard someone crying. I looked around and my eyes landed on a man coming closer to us. As he began to come closer into view I realized it was Carlos holding a crying Vanessa. What could he possibly want from me? I am doing exactly what he wanted. I'm staying away from her, just like he told me to do.

He looked furious. "Here, take her, she won't stop crying. She doesn't want me." Carlos grumbled while handing her to me. Once Vanessa was in my arms he stormed out of the restaurant slamming the double doors shut. The sound of his engine was so loud and before he even had time to put on his seat belt, he sped off to who knows where..

I looked at Gabriella who shrugged her shoulders. She was just as confused about Carlos's actions as I was. Vanessa stood on the side of me while grabbing my shirt. I put my arm around her just incase she fell and gave her a French fry to munch on.

"Why don't we go to the park instead, I don't mind," Gabriella was such a generous person. She was always thinking of others.

"Me want to go park Daddy." I guess the first time wasn't just a slip of the tongue. I didn't even bother to correct her. She obviously wouldn't grasp the concept considering she didn't understand her little talk with Carlos.

Before answering Vanessa, I gave a sympathetic look towards Gabi. "We will go to the park right after I pay upfront."

The three of us sat there for another twenty minutes catching up on anything and everything we could think of before getting ready to head out.

I stood up, Vanessa on my hip, Gabriella hand within mine, and walked to the front. Just as I was about to pay my phone went off. Taking out the flip phone, I opened it and pressed it to my ear.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Hello, is this Troy Bolton?" The voice sounded calm and relaxed.

"Yes it is." Who could be calling me?

"I'm calling from Cedar Sinai Hospital," As soon as I heard this, I instantly became worried. Leaning over to Gabi, I handed her Vanessa. Thankfully she didn't protest against going into someone else's arms. Instead, she played with Gabriella's long curls.

"We have a Mr. Carlos Montez. He has been in a car accident."

**Alright, if you liked it please review. Also let me know if there is anything you want to see in this story! Hoped you like it. Thank you **_**ImmaHatefulCritic**_**!**


	9. Chapter 9

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov:**

My heart dropped. As soon as those words came rushing into my ears, my mind filled with worry. Before almost dropping the phone, I managed to press the 'off' button and fumble to put it back into my pocket.

Turning to Gabriella I found Vanessa asleep laying her head on Gabi's chest. Gabi had her head resting on top of Vanessa's while rocking her gently back and forth in a soothing motion.

"We have to go," I told her while pulling a twenty dollar bill out of my wallet.

"What happened, Troy?" I heard Gabriella ask. She made her way closer towards.

"Keep the change," I told the cashier. Grabbing Gabriella's hand, I led her outside.

"Carlos has been in a car accident. We have to get to the hospital." I quickly told her.

Keeping one hand on the small of her back, I opened the back door of the car for her. Smiling, I watched her gently place a sleeping Vanessa in her car seat, making sure she was buckled and covered with a blanket. As soon as she was secure Gabriella closed the door and turned to me. I reached my hand to her chin; gently bring her face closer to me.

After placing a gentle kiss on her lips, we both slipped into the car.

"Did they say anything about his condition?" Gabriella asked me once I turned out of the parking lot.

"No they only said I needed to come down there." I sighed and placed my right hand on her knee gently rubbing it. My left hand stayed secure on the wheel. She nodded her head before placing her hand on top of mine.

As we got closer to the hospital we began to hear ambulance sirens. After stopping at a red light, I looked in my rearview mirror and noticed that all the commotion made Vanessa start to stir and whimper. I watched as she stretched in her seat and rubbed her eye.

She looked around at her surrounds and then looked up at me. Her lip quivered as she saw me.

My eyes turned back to the road due to the light changing.

"Good morning sleeping beauty," I said while keeping my eyes on the road.

"Daddy, me want apple juice," She said while once again whimpering.

Sighing, I turned around once I found a parking space to park in. "I'm sorry Nes, daddy didn't leave me with your juice when he dropped you off."

"Otay," Vanessa stuck her thumb into her mouth and waited patently to be taken out of the car.

Gabriella and I both made our way out of the car. Walking around to the other side of the car, I opened the door and un-strapped her. Placing her on the floor I looked around the car for some kind of jacket for her.

When Carlos dropped her off I guess he didn't bother to put a jacket on her, or even a long sleeve shirt for that matter. It was a very cold December day and Vanessa was dressed in a short sleeve shirt with Capri pants. Did he think it was summer? I was surprised Vanessa didn't complain that she was freezing. Then again she really doesn't complain about anything. I don't know why Carlos said she always used the expression,' Daddy lets me do it,' around all her babysitters.

Looking under the front seat, I was glad to find one of her sweatshirts. Slipping it over her heads she immediately raised her arms up for me to slip them through. Her tiny body shook with the winters chill.

Once I was done, I closed the door and picked Vanessa back up. She snuggled into me and started to suck her thumb again. Kissing her head, I slipped the sweatshirt hood over her head in attempts to shield her from the wind. After linking my hand with Gabriella's, we both started walking towards the entrance.

"Do you know what floor he's on?" Gabriella's asked while we walked through the brown double doors.

"Let's ask the front desk."

Walking up to the front desk, we were met with a woman on the phone. She looked to be middle age. Her hair was tightly pulled back in a bun and had some black rims perched on the tip of her nose.

Clearing my throat, I attempted to catch her attention. "Excuse me, what room is Carlos Montez in?" The woman looked up from her computer and held up a finger signaling for us to wait. After hanging up the phone she typed what I assumed to be his name into the computer.

"Second floor room 114," She pointed lazily with her finger towards the elevators and continued right back to typing on her computer.

Once we were inside the elevator, I held my two girls close to me. Wait my? I have to stop thinking like that. This daddy calling thing is getting to my head.

Gabriella buried her head into my right side, opposite of Vanessa. Running a hand through her dark brown hair, she wrapped her arms around my waist. I was able to place a kiss on her temple before hearing the familiar dinging noise signaling that we have reached our destination.

Getting out of the elevator I was met with a room full of worried people. Some of which were crying. Loved ones right by their side trying to comfort them, while others were pacing around the room biting their nails anxious to see what the doctors were going to say. Kids sat quietly with toys on the floor oblivious to where they were or what they were here for.

For a minute I got lost in my own thought, thinking about those care free days. Not worrying about anything but sharing your crayons and hoping your mother didn't catch you when you tried to sneak cookies before dinner.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" I was snapped out of my train of thought by the receptionist at the front desk. She seemed nicer than the one on the first floor, which I was grateful for.

"Yes, I'm looking for Carlos Montez." Setting Vanessa down to sit on the counter, I watched as the receptionist swiftly looked through a stack of papers. While she was doing this, I took off Vanessa sweatshirt since it was a bit warm in the room. I knew she was thirsty and probably hungry since it didn't look like she was eating anything when I left the house this morning. Sometime soon I was going to take a trip down to the cafeteria to see if there was anything I could get her.

"Ah yes, here it is. Ok If you will just take a seat. A doctor will be calling names. Listen for Carlos's." She told me with a smile. I nodded and thanked her before walking over to two empty chairs.

Sitting down, I wrapped my arm around Gabriella's shoulder and leaned her onto my chest. She looked tired. In fact, both my girls did. Damn it, I have got to stop saying that. But it was true, I knew for a fact Vanessa didn't sleep well last night. I first went in her room at eleven o'clock to calm her down.

As for Gabriella, I didn't know why she was tired. Maybe she as well didn't have a great sleep just like the rest of us.

Vanessa sat happily against my chest pulling on the strings of my sweatshirt. She giggled when I pretended as if it was choking me.

"I sowwy. Me make betta," I watched her grip onto my shirt and stand up. Making sure she didn't fall I held her legs up with my hands. I laughed as she placed a wet kiss on my cheek and dropped back down to sit on my lap.

"Much better, thank you Nessa." I told her while tickling her.

"You're so good with her," Gabriella commented and kissed my neck.

"Thanks baby girl,"

"Carlos Montez?" Hearing the doctor voice we both stood up. Placing Vanessa on my hip we both walked over to him.

"Troy" I told him while shaking his hand. Gabriella did the same thing.

"Hi I'm Doctor Williams and I have been taken care of Carlos." He looked down.

"What's his condition, Dr?" Gabriella said. The doctor looked up with sad eyes. My heart dropped. The hallway clock seemed to get louder and louder. I was anticipating for his answer, but all I could hear was _tick tick tick tick_. Shaking my head I attempted once more to focus.

"Well the collision was head on. He wasn't wearing his seat belt which caused him to jerk forward into the steering wheel, fracturing a rib in the process. The front windshield was shattered and we found a large piece lodged by his heart. We preformed surgery to get it out, but right at the end he slipped into a coma." Tears leaked out of my eyes. Gripping Gabriella's hand tighter, I pulled her into my side. I hugged her as the tears fell.

Feeling hands wipe away my tears, I opened my eyes assuming it was Gabi's, but it wasn't. Vanessa was wiping my tears away with her tiny hand. I held both of them closer and kissed each of them on the head, lingering on Gabriella's and laying my head on the top of her head. Her strawberry shampoo smelling hair comforted me in a way.

Taking a deep breath, I looked back at the doctor. "How long will he be in a coma for?" I was dreading the answer.

"Well, I can't really say. Some stay in it for a few hours, some days, some months, and the rare occasion, years." I nodded my head.

"I'm sorry. Would you like to see him?" The doctor asked us and once again I nodded my head. Before following the doctor, I turned to Gabi. Taking Vanessa off my hip, I held her out to Gabi, which she didn't hesitate to take.

"Why don't you take her to find something to eat and drink? I'll just be in the room." I gave her a look telling her I wanted to be alone with Carlos for a few minutes. It wasn't a mean look. It was more of a sad look. Taking out a twenty from my back pocket, I handed it to her.

"Sure maybe we can get some cookies too, right Vanessa?" Gabi tickled her stomach gently. I watched as Vanessa laughed and looked at me. I could tell she was going to have a hard time being away from me. It wasn't that she didn't like Gabi, but she was just going through some separation anxiety.

I kissed Gabriella's lips, whispering a thank you against them. "Now you. How about I make you a deal. If you are a good girl for Gabi, she'll get you apple juice and play dress-up with you tomorrow." Vanessa nodded her head excitedly and I watched Gabriella walk away with Vanessa. It wasn't bribing. It was giving her something to look forward to.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, I proceeded to follow the doctor. "I'll leave you alone with him for a bit," The doctor said and then left.

Walking into the room, I couldn't believe my eyes. Carlos must have been hooked up to at least ten different monitors. There was a heart monitor beeping continuously. His face was pale with scratches everywhere. How could he be so stupid as to not wear a seatbelt. He could have left Vanessa without a father today. Pulling up a chair to his side, I began to do something I dreaded. Talking to him.

"Uh hey Carlos. How are you doing?" I laughed a little to myself. "Sorry bad joke. Listen I know you're upset with me right now and probably don't want to hear me, but I have something to say to you. How you acted around Vanessa before wasn't very fatherly. You confuse her by taking her away from me and then don't even treat her like you are her father. You should be ashamed of yourself. Letting that poor two year old cry herself to sleep made me lose all respect for you." I exclaimed. I was getting angry. Taking a minute for myself to calm down, I began to speak again.

"Don't get me wrong. I am really grateful that you've welcomed me into your home, but if I would have known this was going to happen, I wouldn't have accepted. You let that girl go out of the house in a t-shirt. A t-shirt in 30 degree weather. I don't think you realize that babies are much more prone to illnesses than we are. When you dropped her off you didn't even leave her with a bag of food, juice, extra clothes, or anything. I was lucky enough to find a sweatshirt for her lodged between the seats of the car. I don't even have any words for that. You're her father and you need to get over your jealousy issues and start acting like it." I couldn't go on.

As much as I wanted to, I had to stop myself. I was getting angry. My hands were shaking. I got up from my chair and walked around the room. Once I felt my anger slip away, I sat back in the chair and put my head in my hands.

For twenty minutes I sat there not moving a muscle. Picking my head up, I stood up and walked out of the room. I needed a break from being in there. I was met with the chill of the air. I guess they turned the air conditioning on. It felt like a cool 60 degrees.

Walking down the hallway, I was met with Gabriella and Vanessa walking over to me. They both had big smiles on their faces. Gabriella held a bottle of apple juice with straw in her right hand.

"Did you have fun with Gabi, Ness?" I asked her and kissed Gabriella's forehead. Vanessa nodded.

"Tell him what you ate." Gabriella spoke to Vanessa.

"Chicken nuggy's and juice." She giggled.

"Mmm my favorite," I told her.

"And what did you do after that?" Gabriella swayed Vanessa as she put her head on Gabi's chest.

"Me go on big potty," I laughed as she held out her arms out to show how big it was.

"I hope you didn't fall in," I said. Gabriella laughed and shook her head 'no'.

"Watch this." Gabriella said and turned back to Vanessa.

"And who helped you so you didn't fall in?"

I watched as Vanessa picked her head up off of Gabriella's chest.

"Gabalala," Vanessa squeeled.

"I think she's having a little trouble pronouncing your name." I smirked.

"Ya think? My name has become a mix between something from the show Yo Gaba Gaba and the Teletubbies." **(Kids TV shows for those who don't know.)**

I laughed at the two of them together. Vanessa was busy twirling her finger around Gabi's curls. Gabriella was holding the straw up to Vanessa's lips so she could drink the apple juice. It looked like she dribbled a little by the wet spot on her shirt. She really needed her own sippy cup.

"The doctor said he was coming back in a few minutes, so we probably have to go back in now." Taking Gabriella's hand in mine, we both walked back into the room.

Sitting on the chair waiting for us, was the doctor.

"Oh good, I thought you left." He said while standing up.

"No I just stepped out for a bit," I told him while I took a seat. Gabriella took the seat next to me and sat Vanessa in her lap. Vanessa reached her arms out to me signaling for me to take her, which I did. Glancing at the clock, I saw that I was 1 o'clock, Vanessa's nap time. Laying her down in my arms, I cuddled her against me. Glad to be on a rolling stool, I swayed her back and forth slowly. Gabriella draped Vanessa's sweatshirt over her tiny body allowing Vanessa to get even more comfortable surrounded by a warm blanket.

"We need to talk about who Vanessa will be staying with. Now, I am aware that her mother isn't in the picture, am I correct?" The doctor placed thin rimed glasses on the tip of his nose looking at a piece of paper.

"Yes, that's correct. During the day I am Vanessa's caretaker. I also live at her house. It would make sense for me to take care of her while Carlos is incapable, don't you think?" I asked him while adjusting the blanket to go over Vanessa's head to shield her from the light.

"That would be fine. Would you also be staying with him, Gabriella?"

Gabriella looked at me for a brief moment. "Yes. I'll be there to help him."

"Alright, well that's it. I will call you if Carlos is making any progress and you are welcome to visit him each day between the hours of 2 and 6." We said our goodbyes and walked out of the room and into the elevator.

Not a word was spoken as we walked all the way to the car. I unlocked the door so Gabriella could get into the car and out of the frigid air. Opening the back door I took the sweatshirt away from Vanessa and found her sleeping form.

As carefully as possible, I settled her into her care seat and strapped her in. I then put the sweatshirt back around her tiny body and closed the door.

Keys in hand, I opened the front door and slid into the drivers seat. Immediately, I put the keys in the ignition and started up the car pressing the heat button before putting on my seat belt.

Turning to Gabriella, I found her curled up on the seat, worn out from all the excitement today.

"You don't have to stay at the house Brie," I told her while running the back of my hand along her cheek. She leaned into it and closed her eyes.

"I'm here for you. You don't have to go through this alone. I'm more than willing to help, plus I would love to do it babe." She told me and I left it at that. Thinking about it, another set of hand around the house will be useful. Plus Vanessa trusts Gabi so I wouldn't be worried if I had to leave the house for something.

Lifting her hand up I brought it to my lips to kiss, silently thanking her, before starting on the drive home never once letting go of her hand.

**I worked really hard on this chapter so I hope you guys liked it. Please leave reviews and suggestions. Thanks to my co-writter **_**ImmaHatefulCritic**_**. And thank you to vesxo for leaving such nice reviews and making my day :) **


	10. Chapter 10

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Gabi's Pov:**

The ride home was silent. The only sound that was heard was from the honking of car horns every so often.

To tell you the truth I was worried about Troy. He has been acting different ever since he came out of Carlos's room. He hasn't been saying much. I watched as he jingled the keys into the lock, frustrated when he slid the wrong key into the lock.

After hearing the infamous click, the door finally unlocked. He twisted the brass door knob with a little force and opened the door. Vanessa was having a little trouble climbing up the steps of the porch, so I had to pick her up and place her into the house. Immediately when she was in the house she ran off into the play room.

Turning my head from Vanessa to Troy, I found him walking into the kitchen. He fumbled with the package of what looked to be peanut butter cookies and took out five cookies.

He acted as if I wasn't even there. I watched as troy walked right past me, set four cookies onto the living room table, sat on the couch and popped one into his mouth.

Walking over towards him, I sat next to him. No attempt to talk to me or anything.

"Babe what happened?" There was hesitation clearly evident in my voice.

"Nothing happened," He spoke was low and deep and popped another cookie into her mouth.

"What did you say to Carlos?" Immediately when these words flew out of my mouth, I regretted it.

"I said whatever came to mind. He is a sad excuse for a father. He had no right to do what he did to Vanessa. That I lost all respect for him. You know, the usual." He told me nonchalantly.

"Troy how could you say that you him!" I told him sternly.

"HOW COULD I SAY THAT TO HIM? DID YOU SEE WHAT HE DID TO THAT POOR GIRL?" I guess what I had said to him set him off. Starting a fight was the last thing I wanted to do.

"Troy, calm down. All I'm saying is that this poor guy is in a coma and you basically just told him to stay out of his daughters like and go fuck himself." Oops. Bad move number two.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! I SAID WHAT I NEEDED TO SAY, END OF STORY." He was starting to scare me. He got up from his spot on the couch and started to walk away.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TELL ME WHAT TO SAY AND WHAT NOT TO SAY." I guess he wasn't done with the yelling. Sighing, I got up from the couch and started to walk towards him into the kitchen. He slammed the cupboards close as he took out a glass.

"FOR YOUR INFORMATION I NEVER SAID I DIDN'T AGREE WITH YOU. I THINK THERE WAS A BETTER WAY YOU COULD HAVE HANDLED IT." I yelled back.

**No one's Pov**

Meanwhile, in the play room Vanessa stopped playing once she heard yelling.

"Dada no yell." She said quietly to herself. Toddling out of the room and into the living room, she didn't see anyone. Instead, her eyes landed on something else.

"Cookie," She said and pointed to the three cookies on the living room table. She ran over to them, picked one up nibbled on one. Almost immediately she began to cough, almost as if she was choking.

**Troy's Pov:**

A coughing noise took Gabriella and I out of our fight. Within the next minute I was rushing to see where that noise was coming from.

Entering the living room, I was met with Vanessa coughing, her face turning bright red. Her tiny body shook with each cough. Picking her up, I place her in my arms laying down. Instead of her in the cradle position her back was facing up and her stomach was facing towards the floor. With the hand that wasn't occupied, I patted her back with force, but not so much where it would hurt her.

Vanessa started gasping, but I just thought it was a combination between her crying and coughing. Gabriella was at my side immediately once she saw that Vanessa was becoming restless in my arms.

"TROY, I DON'T THINK SHE CAN BREATH VERY WELL." She didn't yell it in a mean way, she was only scared. Suddenly the fight we had five minutes ago was forgotten.

"Get the keys and the baby's bag by the door. It will be faster to drive to the hospital than to wait for the ambulance." She nodded and ran off to collect the items.

"It's ok baby. I got you. We're going to get you help." I told her as I rubbed her back. She wasn't choking, as Gabriella pointed out. Her throat was closing up.

Once I saw Gabriella we both rushed to the car. I had Gabriella sit in the back with Vanessa while I sped off to the hospital. Lucky for me, no police men where on the streets tonight. Looking at Vanessa in my mirror, her face was getting even redder.

I managed to cut the time it usually takes to get to the hospital in half. Once I found a spot, I jumped out of the car and went around to the other side. Gabriella already had the door open and was struggling to hold a squirming Vanessa. Taking her from Gabriella we both ran into the hospital. I held Vanessa's head against my shoulder, being careful as to not jostle her.

"I NEED A DOCTOR. HER THROAT IS CLOSING UP!" I yelled into the hospital. Doctors swarmed around the three of us with a stretcher. I laid her tiny body on it. The doctors put an oxygen mask over her face. While they quickly wheeled her, Gabriella, and I power walked along side of them.

"Do you have any idea what caused this? Is she allergic to anything?" Once of the nurses turned to me and asked.

"Not that I know of. I'm only caring for her while her father is in a coma." I told the nurse.

"Did she have anything to eat? Any peanuts, dairy products, anything that can cause an allergy like this?"

"No she didn-," I was cut off by Gabriella.

"The peanut butter cookies," She yelled. The nurses nodded and wheeled her into a room with about five doctors who told us to wait in the waiting room while they take care of her.

That's when I realized. I did this to her. I was the one who left the cookies right on the table where she could easily get to them. I was the reason she was in the hospital barely breathing. God I am such an idiot.

I was in a daze, and before I knew it, Gabriella and I were sitting in the waiting room, waiting for some doctor to tell us what was happening.

"Troy, we didn't know. You couldn't have prevented it." Gabriella reached for my hand that was resting on my knee. I allowed her to interlock our fingers before answering her.

"I know. I'm just mad at myself for leaving them out where she could get them." I told her softly.

"Did you know she was allergic?" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath when she asked me.

"No."

"Why are you blaming yourself then?" The truth was. I didn't know why I was blaming myself.

"I guess I just need something to blame this on. It has to be someone's fault." I said while rubbing my thumb across the back of my hand.

"Troy, sometimes, it isn't anyone's fault. Sometimes you can't help things from happening. Even if you try to avoid it, sometimes it just happens anyway." She was right. I nodded my head showing I understood, and then closed my eyes.

I guess I fell asleep because before I knew it, Gabriella was shaking me awake and there was a doctor standing next to her.

"Sorry, I guess I just dosed off for a bit," I told her and the doctor. Standing up the doctor, Gabriella and I started walking to what I assumed to be Vanessa's room.

"Well, we figured out that it was indeed a peanut allergy. We gave her some medicine to calm her and open up her throat. I'm glad you got her here as soon as you did. A few more minutes and her throat would have been fully closed." For the first time in about two hours, I was able to relax. My heart that had been beating so fast for that time seemed to finally cal down.

"Oh thank god. How is she, beyond that?" I asked him. He gave a soft smile, and at that moment, I knew everything would be ok.

"She is doing really well. She is tired from the medicine we gave her. She is also a little frightened, but that is normal for a two-year old to be scared by their surrounding when in an unfamiliar place." Gabriella and I both nodded at his answer.

Opening the door the Vanessa's room, we found her laying n the bed, well lying on the pillows. The doctor had laid her on one of the pillow that was facing vertical against the bed. She was tiny enough for her whole body to fit on the pillow.

Gabriella and I were both glad to see that there wasn't any wires attached to her.

"She is all set for you guys to take her home, I just need you to sign this." I quickly signed the forms and made my way over to the bed. She lay awake and whimpering softly and my heart broke.

Her arms reached up towards me. Leaning over the bed, one of my hands slipped behind her head, and the other one slipped under her tiny form. Lifting her up, I settled her against my chest. Her hands gripped balls of my shirt and her head rested on my shoulder.

"Dada," Her voice spoke, whimpering." I held her tighter against me.

"I know baby. Daddy's here."

**I originally planned for this to be a longer chapter, but I liked the way this ended. Troy has finally come to terms with him being called daddy. The next chapter will continue on what was supposed to be put in for this chapter. I hope you liked it. Please review. Suggestions are always welcome! Thank you to my co-writter ImmaHatefulCritic.**


	11. Chapter 11

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov:**

The days seemed to slip away from me and before I knew it, about 3 and a half weeks had flown by. It was January 21st, 11:45 to be specific. I was lying awake in my bed after long day. You guys are probably wondering what happened to Carlos. Did he come out of his coma? Well, that is a night that will forever be embezzled in my mind.

_**Flashback**_

_Gabriella, Vanessa, and I were all making out way up the house porch after just coming home from the hospital. Ever since we left, Vanessa wouldn't let me put her down. She clung to me as if her life depended on it. _

_Taking out the keys from my back left pocket, I skillfully glided it through the keyhole and turned it to the left, unlocking the door in the process. Stepping into the house, I stopped before walking into the living room. The small black dog greeted us by nuzzling her nose against my pant leg. Bending down, I scratched her head and picked her up, letting Vanessa pet her. Her giggle filled the room as the black dog licked her face. _

_Turning my head from Vanessa, I looked over at Gabriella who was cleaning off the living room table. Her left hand held a garbage bag, while the other one held Windex and paper towels. I smiled as I watched her. She made sure not to miss a spot as she wiped up the crumbs off of the table and hardwood floor. Walking over to her, puppy and Vanessa still in hand, she stopped me before coming any closer than 5 ft._

"_Let me just wash my hands just to be safe," She told me while walking over to the kitchen sink. _

_After she dried her hands she walked back over to us, reaching out to pet the dog, while I laid a kiss in her brown curls._

"_Thank you for cleaning up," I told her. She locked eyes with me and smiled. Leaning in, I kissed her gently on the lips before wrapping my arm around her._

"_Hey, we still need to name this pup." Gabriella told me. I nodded in agreement._

"_Why don't we go into the playroom?" Leading her out of the kitchen, we walked to the other side of the house and into the play room. _

_Setting the puppy down, she immediately ran around the toy filled room inspecting everything she could find. _

_Gabriella and I both sat down in the middle of the floor. I placed Vanessa between my legs. I was surprised when she made no attempt to cling onto me even more. _

"_Gabalala up" Vanessa held her tiny arms out for Gabriella to pick her up._

_Vanessa sat contently on Gabriella's lap, while I played tug o war with the dog. Every time I tried to pull the chew toy away, the black dog would pull harder. _

_Eventually, the dog got bored and dropped the toy. She then scurried over to Vanessa and jumped on her. _

_I watched as Vanessa lost her balance and grabbed Gabriella's shirt for support, even though the whole time Gabriella had a hand on Vanessa's back, making sure se wouldn't fall._

_A smile appeared on my face as I watched Gabriella interact with Vanessa. _

"_It's ok Vanessa. Look, he just wants to say hi," She told Vanessa softly. Gabriella picked up the small dog who immediately began licking Vanessa's face, making her bust out in giggles._

"_What are you going to name her, Ness?" I asked her while scooting over to them. That was a bad thing to ask. If she had any say in what this small black dog was going to be named, she would have named her, 'dog'. Partly because it was one of the few words she could actually say well. Just look how she butchered Gabriella's name. But I thought it was the cutest thing when she spoke._

_Thankfully, Vanessa shrugged her shoulders signaling she didn't know. _

"_How about I think of a name?" I heard Gabriella ask Vanessa. I watched as Gabriella shook her head, 'yes', eagerly and hugged the dog. I guess we still need to work on being gentle with her. Gabriella took the tag wagging dog and set her on the ground._

"_Do you want to call him Shadow?" Vanessa clapped her hands at Gabriella's suggestion. I got up from my spot on the floor and walked right outside the room to where her bowl was. Taking the bag of food, I shook it to get her attention._

"_Well I guess it's settled then. Shadow, come get dinner." I called to her while pouring the contents from the bag into the bowl. The water bowl already had water in it, so I didn't need to refill it. I heard the scampering of claws before I even finished pouring._

_Not long after, I saw Gabriella and Vanessa. _

"_She's getting hungry," Gabriella told me just as my cell phone started to buzz in my pocket. Reaching in my front pocket, I pulled out the silver blackberry. _

"_Well, we'll get dinner right after I answer this." I told her while flipping the phone open._

"_Hello?" I said into the speaker. While waiting for a response I took Vanessa from Gabriella who was more than happy to be in my arms._

"_Hi this is Crystal from Sinai Hospital. I would like to inform you that a Carlos Hudgens has woken up from his coma. It is recommended that you come down to the hospital as soon as possible." The woman sounded like a recording. She must have to say this multiple times throughout the day. I didn't know whether to be nervous or happy about the news I just heard._

"_Thank you. We will be down there as soon as we can." I told the lady. Without even so much as a goodbye, the woman hung up. Closing my phone, I settled it back into my front pocket and then adjust Vanessa to my right hip._

"_Carlos came out of his coma. They want us at the hospital." I told Gabriella. _

"_How soon do they need us to be there?" Gabriella asked me while searching for the keys to the car._

"_They didn't say. All they said was that it is recommended that we be there. I think I'm going to bathe Vanessa and put her in some pajamas before we go."_

"_How about I bathe her, and you get everything ready. Get her pajamas out and everything we need." Gabriella offered._

"_Babe, I don't want to put you through that. You're probably going to get soaked." She shook her head and took the little girl from my arms._

_Following her upstairs into Vanessa's room, I watched as she undressed Vanessa, shaking my head in the process. Bad move. _

_I had an amused look on my face once Gabriella got Vanessa undressed. As soon as Vanessa was undressed she went running out of the room and away from Gabi._

"_Rule number one always undress her right when you are ready to put her in the bath." I spoke loudly as I followed her out of the room._

_In response, Gabriella stopped chasing Vanessa for a moment and stuck her tongue out to me._

"_Which brings me to my next rule. Never take your eye off of her for one second." Vanessa was on one end on the hallway, while I was on the other. Vanessa came out of the middle guest room leaving a trail of toilet paper behind her. _

_Once she saw Gabriella coming towards her, she dropped the paper and ran towards me._

"_And rule number three. When she gets close enough you have to punish her…by the tickle monster," I scooped Vanessa up and tickled her until she was hysterically laughing._

_Stopping, I let Vanessa calm down a little. Gabriella was walking over towards me with her hands on her hips._

"_Anything else I should know oh-righteous-one?" I laughed at her comment._

"_Nothing else except when someone looks as beautiful as you do now, one should give me a kiss." She did exactly that. She planted one right on the corner of my mouth. _

"_Alright, now that that's settled. Vanessa? Gabriella's going to give you a quick bath. No splashing her or else the tickle monster is going to come after you." I growled playfully and then handed her to Gabriella._

_I walked back into Vanessa's room and picked out some pajamas which consisted of warm button up one piece footie pajamas with the care bear design._

_Wow Gabriella really did know how to give a quick bath, because before I knew it, Vanessa was running through the room with her duck bath towel wrapped around her. _

"_Come here you," I said while grabbing her once she came into arm length. Laying her down, I slipped pull-ups on her since I didn't know how long we were going to be out for. Plus I didn't want to wake her by changing her when we came back tonight. _

_After that, I put her into the pajamas I took out previously, and buttoned them up._

"_Are you ready to go?" Gabriella came into the room, not a spot of wetness on her. I see she only gets me wet._

"_Uh yea, I think so." I told her while picking Vanessa up. She gave a yawn and rested her head on my shoulder. Putting my hand on the small of Gabriella's back, I led her downstairs. _

_Before leaving the house, I made sure I had Vanessa's juice cup in the bag. Walking out the front door, we were met with the winters chill._

"_So how many times have we been to the hospital today?" Gabriella asked me once we had gotten in the car."_

"_Too many for one day," I told her while backing out of the driveway, hand in hand with her._

_It didn't take long to arrive at the hospital. Since we already visited Carlos once before, we knew where his room was. _

_Sure enough the doctors had him sitting up in bed wide-awake. I felt a little nervous about being near him. When his eyes locked with mine, he gave a small grin. I walked apprehensively over to him and set Vanessa on the bottom part of the bed._

_Gabriella walked over towards Vanessa making sure she didn't fall, while I brought a chair over to Carlos._

"_I uh would like to apologize." His voice was raspy. His face had pure shame written across from it._

"_I think two apologies are in order. While you were in a coma, I expressed my feelings a little too much. I'm embarrassed and ashamed." He probably didn't even know what I said._

"_I heard you. You can hear everything around you when your in a coma. And the last thing I want you to do is apologize. You have every right to say what you did. I guess I was just preoccupied with what was happening, I forgot about a few things." I nodded my head._

"_Still, it wasn't right of me to say what I did after all you have done for me." I told him. My voice broke in the process. I looked over to Gabriella to find her holding Vanessa, swaying her in the process._

"_I would just like you to know that this is going to take some time for me. It's not easy hearing your wn daughter calling someone else daddy. Or not wanting you around. I'm not going to say, that I wont get angry now and then, but I will do my best to control my anger." He said. Carlos then grabbed the cup on the bedside table and took a sip._

"_You have every right to be angry. I would be furious too, it's just that when you endanger someone else in the process, then it comes to be a problem. Well, I probably shouldn't say endanger, I should say when you don't take care of her the right way." I told him. He agreed with me. Looking at his face, I felt sympathy for the poor guy._

"_I'll make you a deal. As long as I get to spend sometime with her, whether it's alone, or with you and her in her playroom, then I will do my best not to get angry when she calls you daddy. I just want to play with her, and spend some time together without having her crying." I smiled and put out my hand for him to take. Things were going to get better. I was sure of it._

_Before we knew it, the doctor ushered us out, saying that Carlos needed his sleep. They were also going to release him tomorrow. Getting up from the chair, I put it back in it's place before taking Vanessa from Gabriella's arms._

_Walking back over to Carlos I bent down so he could give Vanessa a kiss before we left. We said our goodbye's and then retreated back home."_

_It didn't take too long to get Vanessa to sleep considering she was falling asleep during dinner. Once she was settled in her room, sleeping soundly at about 8 oclock, I laid down on the couch downstairs in the living room. _

_Gabriella came in not long after. Her arms hugged around herself._

"_Come here, you," I told her while beckoning her to come over to me. She sat herself on the far end of the couch. Putting my arms around her, I positioned her so that she was lying on top of me._

"_I'm sorry for yelling at you. You were absolutely right." I told her while running my hands through her hair._

"_I'm sorry too. I was out of place. Let's not fight again, deal?" I smiled and kissed her gently on the lips before responding._

"_Deal!"_

_**End of Flashback**_

"I smiled thinking about the memory. I have to say, things have gotten a lot better since then. Pulling up the covers I settled myself in the warmth of them.

Not long after, I soon fell asleep, only to be woken up 6 hours later.

"No more monkeys jumping on the bed," I groaned and opened my eyes to see Vanessa jumping up and down, and Carlos standing right next to the bed smiling.

"Get him Van." Carlos exclaimed to Vanessa who responded by running over to me, only to fall on top of me.

"Not that this isn't nice or anything, but why are we so excited today?" I asked Carlos while I took Vanessa off my chest in order to sit up.

"Did someone forget what today is?" Carlos asked while sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Uh Saturday?"

"Wow how can someone forget their own birthday?" I smiled as soon as Carlos said this.

"I guess it just slipped my mind." I told him while getting out of bed. Vanessa reached her arms out to me and I settled her on my hip.

"Well, then Happy Birthday!" Carlos patted me on the back and then smiled.

"Thanks! I just want to shower and get dressed before having breakfast." I told him while placing Vanessa on the ground so she could run around.

My shower only last about 15 minutes. Getting dressed, I put on a pair of pants and a t-shirt and made my way out of my room.

Getting ready to walk down the stairs, I found Carlos and Vanessa close to the bottom step. I had been working on teaching Vanessa how to go down the steps by herself. It was adorable. She would sit down and slide herself down each step. Of course I would be right next to her though.

Walking down to where the two of them were, I heard the doorbell go off.

"Here, I'll finish up here for you." Carlos nodded with a strange smirk on his face and went to go get the door, while I turned back around helping Vanessa go down the stairs.

As soon as she reached the bottom step I heard, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TROY!!"

Turning around I was faced with 7 familiar faces; the faces of my seven best friends.

**I didn't get a lot of reviews for last chapter. You guys really make my day when you review! I know the whole chapter was practically a flashback, I hope you still liked it.**


	12. Chapter 12

Hey guys

Hey guys! I'm having trouble writing the next chapter because of school. If you guys give me a lot of ideas for next chapter, it could get done quicker!

What do you want troy and his friends to do for his birthday?

Anything you want to happen between troy and Gabriella?

How about Vanessa or Carlos?

Thanks guys!


	13. Chapter 13

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov:**

After I got over the initial shock, which took about five minutes, I made my way over to my friends. Wait, I ran over to them. While hugging each of the girls and giving a man shake to each guy, I couldn't stop smiling.

"Surprise!" Gabriella came out behind them and gave me a hug.

"Did you do this? I asked her while kissing the nape of her neck.

"Yea, and don't worry, they know everything from Vanessa calling you Daddy to your parents. So you don't need to explain." I wrapped my arms around her tighter, silently thanking her. I can't believe she did this to me.

Reluctantly, I pulled back due to our friends waiting for us in the hallway.

"So what's on the agenda today?" I turned to my friends. I still couldn't believe they were here. Sharpay, Taylor, Chad, Zeke, Ryan, Kelsi and Jason all came for my birthday.

"Well, today we are going to spend the day at the beach and then we have a little surprise for you! You can bring Vanessa" Taylor explained.

"Should I be scared?" I asked while picking up Vanessa and making my way upstairs with her and Gabriella.

"No, but you should bring extra clothes, towels, bathing suits and sunscreen." Kelsi piped up.

"Alright, you guys can come up and get changed too. There's 2 guestroom and 4 bathrooms up here." I watched them all make their way upstairs while I set Vanessa down on the ground. She lifted her arms up to me, but I shook my head no. Pouting for a minute, she then tried it on Gabi who picked her up, turned her upside down and tickled her. Giggles filled the room.

I smiled as I watched the interaction between the two. As Gabriella set her down on the floor she led Vanessa into her room and closed the door, after making sure she was content with playing with her toys.

Taking Gabriella's hand in mine, we both walked back into my room.

"You can have the bathroom, I'll change out here," I told her while taking out a green suit from my dresser drawer. She thanked me, grabbed her purse, and then walked into the bathroom.

I was done changing way before Gabi was, but that was normal, wasn't it? Hearing the door click, I was met with a funny looking Gabi. One of her hands was behind her neck while the other one was behind her back.

"Problems, my dear?" I asked her trying not to smirk, but not doing a great job considering I let out a chuckle.

"Oh shut up and help me." She said, pouting and walking over towards me.

Once she was close enough I grabbed her shoulders and turned her around, tying her suit. After finishing, my hands fell to her shoulders, gently massaging them while I kissed the back of her neck.

"Thanks babe, I needed that," She softly told me while turning around and digging her face in my chest.

"Hey, what's wrong baby?" I asked as I ran my fingers through her hair.

"Nothing just tired." Kissing the side of her head, I gave her one last squeeze before releasing her from my grasp. We both slipped on t-shirts and shorts over out suits before leaving the room.

Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, we opened the door and walked out, only to be met by 6 faces.

"We were wondering if we were going to see you love birds anytime soon." Chad joked, but was soon hit over the head by Taylor.

"And look who's ready for a day at the beach," Sharpay came stepped in front of Chad and held Vanessa out. I couldn't believe my eyes. Sharpay had Vanessa dressed in a pink glittery swimsuit.

"Where in the world did you get that?" I asked her while taking Vanessa from her and handing her to Gabriella.

"I picked it up on our way over here. Isn't it fabulous?" She exclaimed. The one thing I have learned from Sharpay is always agree with her, even if I thought it was too glittery.

"Yea, it's uh something!" That wasn't too bad of a lie. It really was something.

"Well, go pack some clothes. We need to go before the sun goes down!" Jason said.

"It's 9 in the morning. I doubt the sun will be gone soon." Vanessa said as she put a shirt over Vanessa.

Hearing footsteps behind me, I turned around to see Carlos. In his hands were two dark blue duffle bags. He knew. He knows what's going on and he didn't tell me.

"Here you go have fun!" He smirked at me and handed me the bags along with a stack of beach towels and sunscreen.

"Can we talk in the other room real quick?" I asked him quietly. He nodded his head and proceeded into my room. Handing the towels and bags to Taylor, I told everyone to wait in the car for us.

After giving Gabriella a kiss on her temple, I too entered my room.

"So are you excited?" He asked me once I walked into me room. Sitting down on the bed, I took a deep breath.

"I don't know. I'm excited about the beach part, but I'm not sure about the surprise part. Anything you want to tell me?" I asked him while smirking.

"Nope nothing I can think of." I could tell he was lying, but I decided to let it go.

"Are you sure your ok with Vanessa coming along? I mean I didn't even ask you if I could take her." I felt guilty for not asking him. I mean it wasn't my kid to take.

"I am 100 ok with it. If I wasn't I wouldn't have packed her bag or let her come. Just do me a favor and make sure someone has an eye on her at the beach. Take care of her like you always do." I nodded my head and gave him a hug, and said good bye before making my way out of the room.

Heading outside I found my friends packed in a van loaded with coolers, bags, towels, and beach toys. Taking a seat in the back, next to Vanessa and Gabriella, we all buckled up and started out for a the hour drive.

Stretching, we got out of the car and looked towards a sea of blue. Luckily, I grabbed Vanessa's hand before she ran off. We all helped carry the blankets, toys, and towels to an empty spot on the beach

"Daddy pool!" Vanessa pointed to the ocean and pulled on my suit. Sitting on the big blanket that Kelsi spread out for us, I grabbed the sunscreen and brought Vanessa closer to me. She scrunched up her nose as I rubbed sunscreen on her.

"You want Zeke, Sharpay, Kelsi, Chad, Ryan and Taylor to take you swimming?" I asked her while finishing rubbing in the lotion.

"Yes pwease,"

"Ok guys, don't let go of her. Be careful!" I told my friends while giving them Vanessa. I watched them until I saw Sharpay and Zeke swing Vanessa in the air to jump over a wave.

Turning around, I found Gabriella tanning in the sun. Crawling over to her, I laid on top of her and kissed her lips.

"You're blocking my sun!" Gabi whined, slipping her sun glasses off and placing them on the top of her head.

Our heads slowly came together. Our lips met in a kiss. Running my tongue across her bottom lip, I begged for entrance, which she gladly accepted. I could hear her moan in my mouth which sent chills throughout my body.

Her hands roamed my back while my right hand rested on her hip.

"Guys this is lovely and all, but get a room, this is a public beach. And there is a little kid watching,"

Groaning, I was forced to stop by Chad.

"Ok babe, get up before I get a Troy tan." She said while pushing me off.

Reluctantly, I rolled myself off of her and sat up.

"Why back so soon?" I asked

"Lunch time. We're all getting hungry." Taylor said while taking out the cooler that was under a blanket. As soon as she started passing out the sandwiches, I thought of Vanessa.

"There's no peanut butter in the sandwiches, right?" I didn't want to take a chance.

"No they are all either ham or turkey." Nodding my head, I picked ham while Gabriella picked turkey.

After taking a bite out of my sandwich, I broke a piece off my sandwich and held it up to Vanessa's mouth who opened wide for it.

"Go steal some turkey from Gabriella," I whispered to Vanessa.

Smiling, I watched as walked over to Gabriella and sat down in front of her.

"Mama," She said while opening her mouth.

**Sorry it took so long. What do you think? Suggestions on how you want Gabriella to react? How do you think Carlos is going to react when he finds out?**


	14. Chapter 14

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Warning: This chapter contains a lot of fluff and Troy/Gabriella/Vanessa fluff**

**Gabriella's Pov:**

The sound of crashing waves was heard in the distance. People around us were making sand castles and tanning.

Looking around, I saw eyes looking at me. I too was in shock. I don't think anyone expected this. Glancing down, my eyes went from Vanessa to Troy back to Vanessa. Looking at her, I couldn't help but smile. Her mouth was wide open waiting for food, while her tiny hands reached up towards me.

What was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to react? My friends looked at me, visible smiles on their faces.

Vanessa whimpered from not getting any food. Not sure what to do, I looked at the person who usually had all the answers, Troy. He locked eyes with me and gave me a soft smile while nodding. I returned the smile and looked at the whimpering Vanessa. After putting my sandwich down on the blanket, I used both my hands to pick her up and place her in my lap.

Breaking off a little piece of my sandwich, I held it up to her lips. She immediately opened them and welcomed the food. Everyone laughed when she smiled and clapped her hands.

"Tank you Mommy!" Her little voice melted my heart.

"Your welcome sweetheart." I told her while giving her another piece and kissing the top of her head.

**Troy's Pov:**

After just having finished the sandwich, I laid back on the warm sand. I watched as Gabriella made a sand castle for Vanessa. Looking around, my eyes came across my friends. It was still hard to believe that they were here.

The girls were busy tanning, while the guys were playing a game of beach football.

Getting up from my place on the ground, I walked over to my two girls and crouched down.

"Who wants to go swimming with me?" I asked while running my hands through Gabriella's hair.

She stopped what she was doing and looked up at me. Her head fell to my chest and cuddled into me. I wrapped both my arms around her and held her close.

I watched as Vanessa got up and walked over towards me, climbing on me lap. Smiling, I lifted her up and stood up. Her walking on the hot sand was hell on her small tender feet.

Reaching a hand down to Gabriella, I helped her up.

Once we got to where the cool water ran over the sand, I set Vanessa on her feet. I thought it was cute how Vanessa lifted her hands up, one for each of us to take.

"Ready to jump Vanessa? 123 JUMP!" Gabriella squealed as a wave came crashing in. We both lifted Vanessa into the air. Vanessa giggled as the cold water hit her.

It wasn't long after that all of our friends joined us. We were all treading water in a circle, but of course Vanessa was safely in my arms.

"So what are we doing later?" I asked them nonchalantly.

"Nice try Troy, but you're not getting it out of us that easily," Chad said as he lightly splashed me.

"Hey watch it; if you splash me you splash this one." I told him while holding Vanessa out. Everyone erupted in laughter while Vanessa slapped her arms repeatedly in the water.

"I think she is doing more splashing than me." Chad remarked.

"What if I guess? Will you tell me then?" I asked while settling Vanessa back on my chest.

"Sure, good luck." Zeke said while smiling.

"Is it far away?"

"No."

"Will I like it?"

"No."

"Is it fun?"

"No."

"Something tells me that every answer that comes out of your mouth, Zeke, is going to be no." I told him while getting frustrated.

"Hey you're the one who wanted to guess." Ugh I hate surprises.

Looking up at the sky I noticed it was a mix between a purple and pink, a beautiful sunset.

"Daddy, I cold," Vanessa shivered in my arms as she clung to me tighter. Poor thing, I didn't realize how long we had actually been in the water.

"Yea it's getting late, we better get to the surprise," Sharpay said while we all agreed and made our way out of the water.

Once we got to the blanket, I let go of Gabriella's hand and picked up a towel. Wrapping it around Vanessa's small body, she snuggled deeper into the oversized fluffy towel and rubbed her eye with her fist.

"Sleepy, Nessa?" I asked her while taking a curl out of her face.

She yawned and looked up at me. "Mommy," She said while pouting.

"Let's see..Where is she?" I said quietly while turning around, looking for her in our group of friends.

Finding her with Taylor, I began to walk over towards them.

"Oh mommy," I whispered in her ear. She turned to me and smiled. Handing her a half awake Vanessa, Gabriella cradled her in her arms

I watched as Gabriella wrapped the fallen towel around Vanessa. Vanessa snuggled herself into Gabriella, her tiny form cradled against Gabriella's breasts.

"I don't think we should have let her fall asleep, we are only going to have to wake her up for dinner." I told her while wrapping my arm around her shoulders. She shook her head.

"She had a long day without a nap. Plus, we won't get to your surprise until about 30 minutes, and then we still have to make dinner. She will have a good hour and a half to sleep." She said.

I hate surprises when I don't know what's going on, or where I'm going for that matter.

The 30 minute walk gave me time to think. Think about Carlos. How would he react? I could only imagine from how he reacted to Vanessa calling me daddy. It is going to be a shock to him when we go home tomorrow.

Taking me out of my thought, we came to a stop. Standing in front of us was a beautiful cabin right off the beach. I was speechless. Well, I didn't know what to think.

"We all thought that you might like a getaway with your closest friends," Taylor spoke up.

"Wow guys, this is great thank you so much!" I told them while smiling.

"Don't worry about it, there are 6 rooms, and 11 of us, so we are going to have to double up. One person can have their own room." Zeke said while we followed him up the stairs and into the cabin.

The inside was just as nice as the outside. It had everything a regular house would have, just in a more natural environment. The floors were made of what look to be logs; the fire place in the living room was made of wood. Walking up the stairs I linked Gabi's free hand in mine.

"We already decided on who will get what room. You two love birds are getting the room on the far left side. While the rest of us will be on the other side." Chad laughed.

I whacked Chad on the back of his head. Number one, we will not be doing anything while you guys are in the house. Number two; I don't want Vanessa on the opposite side of the house." I told him.

"We thought you might say that. Don't worry, there is a room right across from yours complete with a safety bar for the bed." I smiled and nodded my head.

Making our way down the stairs and out the back door, we sat on the lawn chairs. Zeke started to get the burgers going as soon as we got outside.

Looking over at Gabriella, I found her lying down on a chair with Vanessa curled up on her lap. She kissed her forehead and closed her eyes too.

Walking over to Gabriella, I kissed her brunette curls. She opened her eyes slightly, then shut them, smiling contently. My hands went up to her head, lightly playing with her hair. This usually put her straight to sleep.

Seeing her asleep, I placed one more kiss on her temple before leaving to help with the food.

Two hours and 11 dirty plates later, we were all stuffed. Half eaten corn, hamburgers and watermelon left on the table. I smiled as I saw everyone holding their stomach too full to even move. Gabriella and Vanessa sat next to me on the bench one on each side of me.

The sun had already set an hour ago. Which meant it was probably around 8 or so. The stars were amazing out here. And the sound of the ocean was calming. Almost like a lulling sound.

I watched as Vanessa rubbed her eye and yawned.

"Ok bath time and then bed time for you, Missy." I told Vanessa while picking her up and placing her on my lap. As much as I didn't want to move, I got us up from my place on the bench and stood up with Vanessa in my arms.

"Want to come babe?" I asked Gabriella who leaned back into my chest.

"Yea, I'm getting tired. Why don't we just go into our room after?" She told me while smiling. Returning, the smile, I then turned to my friends, thanked them.

"Alright guys, I know it's early, but we are going to head up. Night." I told them while linking my hands with Gabriella.

"Yea, yea, just don't knock her up," I head Chad joke. Almost immediately after I heard an 'ouch' from him. Shaking my head and smiling, I turned back around.

"Tiny ears around you Chad." I shook my head. I couldn't believe he would think that. Sure, he was joking, but it was uncalled for.

Sliding the glass door open, I let Gabriella go through before I proceeded.

"Are you tired Hun?" I asked her while climbing the stairs.

"Not really, I just wanted you to myself for a little bit." Once we got up the stairs, she cuddled into my side. Wrapping my extra arm around her, I kissed her head.

"I know what you mean. It seems like we haven't spent any time alone together. Why don't you get you pajamas on while I give her a bath? " I said while letting go of her. She nodded and proceeded into our room. God I loved that girl.

Walking into the bathroom, I set Vanessa on the floor, and turned on the tub. Thankfully, she was too tired to run away from me. Taking her suit off of her, I gently set her down in the luke warm water. She giggled happily as I gave her a rubber duck to play with.

It only took about two minutes for Gabriella to come into the bathroom. I smiled as I saw her attire. There she stood leaning against the door dressed in one of my t shirts and sweatpants.

Reaching my arms out to her, she was more than happy to settle herself on my lap. Her arms wove around my neck. Wrapping my arms around her frame she sighed contently. Using my index finger, I gentle lifted her chin and placed a tender kiss on her lips.

"Mama Dada kissy," Vanessa squealed. As much as we didn't want to, we pulled apart. Looking at Vanessa, she raised her arms to Gabi.

"Bedtime Ness." Gabi said and got up from my lap. I watched as she took a purple towel off the counter and wrapped it around a soaking wet Vanessa.

Following them out of the bathroom and into Vanessa's room, I took out some pajamas and handed them to Gabriella.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Gabriella brought a now dressed Vanessa over to me and sat down next to me. Holding Vanessa in one arm and wrapping the other around Gabriella, we watched as Vanessa curled herself up. Her eyes became heavy and slowly closed drifting into a well needed sleep.

Both of us said our goodnights to her, and went into our own room. I striped down to a white wife beater and a pair of sweats while Gabriella got under the covers.

"Troy, come on," She hurried me.

"I'm coming babe, just give me one more minute." I told her softly while walking over to the bed and pulling down the covers.

Situating myself into the big bed, I took the girl I loved so much into my arms.

"I missed this the most," She whispered while cuddling into me. Her arms wrapped around my waist and her head rested on my chest.

"Me too Brie, so much." I told her. My arms found their wait around her petite form. One hand gently playing with her cascading curls.

We stayed in that position through out the night sealing passionate kisses every so often.

This is what we enjoyed the most. While most couples would rather have sex, we would rather spend the time like this. Not that we were against it, but we just thought this was more meaningful. This, we considered our sex; spending alone time with the person who stole your heart.

**Anything you guys want to see in the next chapter? Where do you want it to take place? What do you want to happen? I write this story so the readers are happy! ******** Hope you liked it!**


	15. Chapter 15

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Ok guys I need a lot of suggestions for the next chapter!! Tell me if I should keep all this fluff.. what you want to see in the next chapter?.. Anything goes!**

Troy's Pov:

I was mesmerized as I watched the girl in my arms fall asleep. She snuggled deeper into me as I left gentle kisses on her temple. With my free hand, I brought the covers up higher on Gabriella's petite body. A small smile formed in her face matching the one on me.

My eyes traveled towards the window where a big bright moon stared back at me.

Just as I settled down, closed my eyes and was about to fall asleep, a noise cause my eyes to flutter open.

"Mama," I heard Vanessa crying. Looking down at a sleeping Gabi, I felt bad waking her. Taking my arms from around her body, she began to stir.

"Troy," She mumbled and wrapped her arms around me trying to get the warmth back.

"Ella, Vanessa's crying for you," I told her quietly.

"Mommy." I heard that little voice again. From the sound of it, she was really upset.

I watched as Gabriella took the covers away and sat up. I too followed suit and we both went into Vanessa's room. What I saw broke my heart. There she sat on the big bed with tears coming down her face.

Gabriella quickly walked over to the bed and lifted the little girl into her arms. I watched as Vanessa dug her head into Gabriella's neck and gripped onto her shirt.

"Mama," Vanessa whimpered. What could have made her so upset?

"It's ok sweetheart. I've got you," Smiling, I watched the two interact. Gabriella swayed Vanessa from side to side while rubbing her back.

Walking over to them, I leaned down to Vanessa. "Nessa, what's wrong?" I asked the shaking girl. She made no attempt to pick her head up from Gabi's neck.

Taking the crying two year old from Gabriella's arms, I sat her down on my lap. She tried to reach out to me, but I wouldn't let her.

"Vanessa, what happened?" I asked her. This didn't seem to help. Giving up, I let her settle herself in my arms.

"Scawy," I heard her let out.

"What's scary Hun?" Gabriella asked.

"No mow big bed." Vanessa sobbed.

As soon as she said this, I felt bad. She was put in a big bed, in an unfamiliar room. Her tiny legs wrapped around my waist, not that they even went halfway around, though. In return, I wrapped my arms around her tighter in hopes to give her a little more comfort.

"Babe, let's go," Gabriella grabbed my hand in hers. I gave her a questioning look as I got up. I watched her put a finger up to her lips, signaling for me to be quiet. I followed her as she brought us back to our room, Vanessa still whimpering against my chest.

Gabriella pulled down the covers and slipped into the bed. "Troy come on, we all need some sleep." Gabriella ushered me to the bed. Nodding, I took Vanessa away from my chest and handed her to Gabi so I could get into the bed. She whimpered as she left my arms.

Gabriella settled her between us, both having an arm over Vanessa's small body. However, my arm not only extended over Vanessa's body, but also across Gabriella's.

I smiled as I saw Vanessa snuggle into Gabriella and for the first time that night, all three of us drifted off into a well needed sleep.

The sun beamed into the room causing me to come out of a deep sleep. My arms wrapped around Gabriella and pulled her closer to me. Almost instantly I felt hers wrap around me.

"mmmm I don't want to wake up," She moaned as she leaned her head on my chest.

Wait a minute. Wasn't there another girl in this bed last night?

"Vanessa." I said and opened my eyes. Gabriella jolted up and looked over the bed. I looked over my side and felt relieved. At least she didn't fall off. We both got out of bed and rushed downstairs.

Hearing noise coming from the living room, we saw everyone in fits of laughter. Looking over at Chad, we couldn't help but laugh too.

Chad held Vanessa upside down by the legs and above his head. Vanessa had two full hands gripped tightly to Chad's hair.

"Ahh" Chad yelled as he walked around the room trying to detach the toddler from his hair.

"You think we should help him?" I asked everyone.

"Nah give him another minute," Gabriella laughed.

"Another minute? I have been at this for an hour with her. I think its time to give my fro a break!" He said while walking over towards the couch.

"You mean you have had her upside down for an hour?" Chad looked guilty as he bent over and placed Vanessa on the couch.

I watched as she pulled his head towards her by his hair and rested her head on the curly boys head.

"I think she thinks you hair is a teddy bear." She might have been trying to detach the "fuzzy bear" from Chad's head so she could hug it.

"Troy she's so adorable," I heard Sharpay squeal. I couldn't agree with her more. Nodding to her, I smiled as I watched Vanessa put her arms around his big hair and lay her head on it.

"Mr. Bear is my buddy," I heard her let out. Everyone bent over in fits of laughter.

Walking over to help Chad out, I detached Vanessa from Chad's "teddy bear" and settled her in my arms. Reaching into the bag next to the couch, I pulled out Mr. Snuggles for Vanessa.

"Do you find it weird how everything furry has a name beginning with Mr.?" I asked Gabi.

"I think it's cute?" She giggled.

"Alright so guys, it's going to take some time to get back. And I don't think we should drive at night, so do you want to get going?" Taylor asked. Leave it to her to be the responsible one in the group.

"Ugh, I don't think I want to see Carlos, but yeah I think it's a good idea. We'll get there by 12 then."

To tell you the truth I didn't want to leave this place. As soon as I step one foot in that house, I knew I would have to face Carlos some time, especially if Vanessa called Gabi mommy in front of Carlos. I couldn't even imagine how he would react. I mean, just look how he reacted with Vanessa calling me Daddy.

"Come on, lets have breakfast before we go," I was taken out of my thoughts by Zeke. In his hand, he held a hot place of eggs and sausages. All I can say is thank god he can cook. If he couldn't, we would all be eating cereal.

Everyone piled into the kitchen, taking a seat at the table. Vanessa sat contently on my lap eating her eggs with a purple plastic fork. To say it was delicious would be an understatement.

After twenty minutes, we all got our bags together. We took one last look around the house before walking out the door and locking it. Putting Vanessa on the ground, I helped Chad load all the beach toys and suitcases in the back of the car.

"Where Shadow?" I looked over to see Vanessa looking up at Gabi. I watched as Gabi bent down to Vanessa.

"She's at home." Gabi told her softly as she zipped up Vanessa's sweater.

"We goin home?" Gabi nodded at Vanessa's question and picked her up. Closing the truck, I went around to the side of the car and opened the door for my friends.

Before Gabriella went into the van, I went first and strapped Vanessa in her car seat, so she wouldn't have to. Taking a seat by the window, I left the middle seat open for Gabi. I watched as she closed the door and walked to the back of the van. Of all places, she settled herself on my lap and brought her legs up to the empty spot next to me.

"Comfortable, Ella?" I chucked. She started fidgeting in her seat. I laughed when she took both my arms and wrapped them around her.

"Now I am." She told me while cuddling into me.

Throughout the whole car ride my mind was on something else-Carlos. As we got closer and closer to our destination, I began to get even more nervous. My leg began to become restless. My fingers tapped against the windowsill of the car.

Feeling a hand on my knee, I looked down, only to see it was Gabi's.

"It's going to be ok, T." She told me gently. My eyes met hers.

"How do you know that? How do you know he's not going to go off on me again or you for that matter?" I asked her as I ran my hands through her gorgeous hair.

"He promised you, didn't he?"

"Yea, but that can't control your emotions." I told her. A promise is just words put together. How many promises have people made to you that they broke? It's so simple to break a promise.

"Well you never know." That was last word that was exchanged about that subject for the rest of the ride. The other words were about trying to keep Vanessa entertained. She usually did pretty well in the car, but for some reason she was just restless. Finally realizing that she no longer had Mr. Snuggles in her hand, I looked around the seat. Finding him laying on the floor, I picked him up and returned him to Vanessa. This seemed to do the trick. For the rest of the ride, everyone was quiet.

As soon as Chad pulled into the driveway, the nerves came back. I once again thanked them for this weekend. Gabriella unbuckled Vanessa and took her out of the car with her. Before, I stepped out of the car, I grabbed the car seat.

Gabriella already had both our bags in her hand. Going around the car to the trunk, I got out the beach toys.

"Wait at the steps Vanessa," I told her. Watching the van full of our friends pull out of the drive way, we yelled one last goodbye.

Opening the front door, I set the bags on the floor before going back outside to help Vanessa up the steps.

"You can just set those next to the bags in the living room." I told Gabriella.

"Hey guys! How was it?" Turning around, I was met by Carlos. Just great.

"It was so much fun, right Vanessa?" I tickled her.

"Yes daddy," She giggled. Looking at Carlos, he had a smile on his face.

"Good, I'm glad. I'm just going to get a glass of water. I'll be right back to hear all about it." He told us while retreating into the kitchen.

"Are you staying a little bit longer?" I asked Gabriella once she came close enough for me to put my arms around her.

"No, my mom is expecting me home in a few minutes." She told me softly. I hated to see this wonderful weekend come to an end. Pulling her in for a long kiss, my arms wrapped tighter around her.

"See you tomorrow, Sweetheart." I told her. She nodded against my chest and I released her from my arms.

"Come say goodbye Vanessa. I'll come back tomorrow, ok?" I watched as Gabi crouched down to Vanessa. Almost immediately Vanessa started to pout. Gabi took her in her arms and stood up.

"Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it," She tried to comfort the whimpering two year old.

"Mommy no buh bye." Vanessa whimpered into Gabi's chest.

Hearing a crash, we all looked behind us. There Carlos stood in the kitchen doorway, wide-eyed. His water glass in pieces on the floor.

**Well, what do you think? How do you think Carlos is going to react?**


	16. Chapter 16

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov:**

Oh god, here it comes, the yelling and screaming. I knew it was coming.

Gabriella and I both watched his facial expressions. Of course they just had to be expressionless, but we waited for the slightest frown, but nothing. Why wasn't he reacting?

The only sound that could be heard was Vanessa saying over and over, "Mama no buh bies Mama no buh bies." I had to admit, it was extremely cute, but it was the wrong time.

Shadow came scampering over to us, but I picked her up so she didn't get cut by the glass. Thankfully, Martin came out with a dust pan and started picking every piece of glass off the hardwood floor. I watched as Carlos looked down at his feet, watching Martin pick up the broken pieces. He then lifted his head and turned back to us.

He took a deep breath before walking out of the kitchen and up the stairs. He didn't seem like he was rushing to get away from us, but we did hear the closing of his bedroom door.

Walking over to Gabi, I gave her a small smile. The tail wagging dog got excited when he saw Vanessa. Almost jumping out of my arms, I held him out to her. I heard Vanessa giggle as Shadow licked her face.

"I think I should go talk to him," I told Gabriella. Putting the small dog on the floor, he immediately started to run around the house.

"No Troy, I think this is something, I have to do." She was right. What was I going to say to him? I took Vanessa from her arms, but she didn't want to stay there.

"Mama no leave me." Vanessa whimpered. I don't think she realizes that Gabi isn't leaving the house, only going upstairs. To any two year old, they would think they were going to leave for the night.

"It's ok sweetheart, you want to come with me?" Gabriella took the whimpering toddler from my arms, and proceeded up the stairs.

**Gabi's Pov:**

To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I didn't know what to think. He had shown no emotion before. Looking down at Vanessa, I noticed she was getting pretty tired. Her head rested on my chest while her fists rubbed her eyes. Turning the brass knob, I entered Carlos's room. What shocked me was that he was very calm. He sat on his bed emptying a brown shoe box.

He looked up at me and smiled. I returned the smile not knowing what else to do.

"Gabriella, come take a seat." He said while patting an empty spot next to him on the bed. As I nervously sat down on the bed, I switched Vanessa from my hip to sit on my lap.

"You know, her mother left when she was just a few weeks old. I shouldn't even call her a mother. She was hardly what anyone would call a mother." He looked down at the picture in his hands.

"Gabriella, do you remember her?" Carlos showed Gabriella the picture. "Nah of course you don't" He said quietly to himself.

I felt sorry for him, even Vanessa. Somehow I felt he wanted to talk about it.

"Carlos, if you don't mind my asking, what happened?" I asked. Vanessa was getting fussy in my arms. She missed her nap today so she was a little cranky.

Carlos took a deep break before answering. "One day she just packed her things and left. She said something about she was too young to be dragged down by a kid. I woke up in the morning with a note left of the table."

"That must have been hard." I told him, but he stared to shake his head.

"You have no idea." He held out his arms, and much to my surprise, Vanessa let him take her out of my arms. He sat her down on his knee and

"She was born two months early. The day she was born was a night I'll never forget. The first day we were told we couldn't see or touch her. She was too fragile."

"I couldn't imagine being told I couldn't see my child. You must have been scared." I told him, my voice breaking slightly at the thought of it.

"It was scary when I saw her. They took me the next day. You should have seen her. She was so small she could fit in the palm of my hand." He stopped and looked down at Vanessa.

"You were as small as shadow when you were born." This made the tears pour down my face. The thought of her being so small and fragile made me scared. Though I had no reason to be scared, it didn't change anything.

"You're a strong one though. You put up quite a fight." I smiled through my tears as I watched Vanessa reach up towards him. He picked her up and placed her against his chest.

All of a sudden, it wasn't about her calling me mommy. It never was. It was about bringing up the past and everything that he had went through. It was painful for him.

He deserves to be alone. Getting up as quietly as I could, I made my way out of the room. Before closing the door, I took one last look at Carlos and Vanessa. Vanessa lay against Carlos's chest while her legs were wrapped around his waist. His free hand was rubbed her back gently, in a calming motion. He placed kisses on her head every so often.

More tears ran down my face as I watched this. After closing the door I made my way back downstairs where. My hands tried to wipe my freely falling tears from my face, but it was no use. As soon as I walked into the living room, Troy walked over towards me.

"Brie, talk to me. What happened?" Without saying a word, I wove my arms around his neck and buried my head into his chest. He picked me up off the ground and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

"Troy, do me a favor and never take anything for granted." I could tell he was confused, but it would all be explained in time.

"I promise, but what's that have to do with anything? What did Carlos say? Where's Vanessa?" He unburied my head and stared into his eyes. With the pad of his thumb, he wiped the extra tears from my face.

"He's going to be just fine. She's up there with him." I told him while snuggling back into his embrace. He brought me over to the couch and sat me down on his lap. Within time everything was going to be just fine.

**Carlos's Pov:**

It felt so good to hold my daughter in my arms. The fact that she let me was incredible. I smiled as I looked down at her.

After a good fifteen minutes, she took her thumb out of her mouth. "Where daddy?" She asked me. I couldn't help but give a sad smile.

"You probably don't even know who your real daddy is." I mumbled sadly to myself.

"He's downstairs with mommy." I told her softly.

"Ok daddy." For the next minute, I was speechless. I waited so long to hear her say that.

"I thought Troy was your daddy?" I asked her.

"Me gots two daddies." She said quietly and then returned her thumb to her mouth. At that moment, I couldn't have been happier.

"Yea, yea you do sweetheart."

**I worked hard on this, so please tell me what you think. Anything you guys want to see in the next chapter?**


	17. Chapter 17

Carlos's Pov:

**What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?**

**Carlos's Pov:**

We stayed in that position for what felt like an hour. I wasn't complaining though, I treasured every minute of it.

She kept telling me, "I tired daddy." However, whenever I laid her down in my arms, she wouldn't fall asleep. She would only close her eyes for about 2 minutes and then open then while whimpering.

"Dada," She said against my chest. I figured it out. When she is referring to me, its daddy, but she calls Troy dada. That will make things a lot easier.

"You want dada?" I asked her quietly.

She nodded her head and rubbed her eye with her fist. I kissed her head and got out of the bed.

"Let's go see were he is."

"I tired." She told me again. I was confused. Why wasn't she falling asleep?

"I know baby. Maybe dada can get you to fall asleep."

As I was walking down the stairs I couldn't help but smile. I was beyond happy that my daughter was calling me daddy.

Once she saw Troy, she got excited and reached out her arms to him while squirming, trying to get to him.

Walking over to the couch, I watched Troy rub Gabriella's back. By the looks of it, she had fallen asleep. Her head was in his lap, her eyes closed, and a blanket was placed over her. I could tell that Troy really cared for this girl.

As much as I didn't want to interrupt them, I cleared my throat which caused Troy to look up.

**Troy's Pov:**

Switching my eyes from Gabriella to Carlos, I noticed an unusually big smile on his face. After kissing Gabriella's forehead, I gently lifted her head from my lap, slipped a pillow under it and stood up.

"Why so happy?" I asked him while taking the squirming Vanessa from him. She immediately dug her head into my neck and gripped onto my shirt.

"Just something that happened upstairs." He told me. We both walked out of the living room so we wouldn't wake Gabi.

"What happened?"

"Well she asked for you while we were upstairs, so I told her you were downstairs." I was still confused. Why would that make him want to smile like an idiot?

"I'm missing the smiling part."

"I'm getting there. Well, she responded with a thank you daddy. I told her that I thought you were her daddy. She responded with I have two daddies." Now I understand why he was smiling.

"That's great." I told him. I was so happy for Carlos.

"Won't it get confusing when she asks for either one of us, though?" What happens if she's with Gabriella and she asks for us?

"She refers to you as dada and me as daddy." My smile couldn't get any bigger at the moment. For about five minutes the two of us were smiling like idiots.

"I tired." A tiny voice said. She made no attempt to unbury her head. I rubbed her back in hopes it would calm her down enough to fall asleep. Usually she would just fall right asleep.

"She has been saying that all day, but won't go to sleep." Carlos told me, and I began to worry.

"Maybe she's too hungry to fall asleep. What time is it?" I looked around for a clock.

"We have about 5 minutes until dinner." Turning around, I was met with a half asleep Gabriella. She snuggled into my left side, which didn't have Vanessa.

"Hey, why aren't you sleeping?" I asked her and kissed her.

"I lost my masseuse." Smiling, I kissed her head again and wrapped my free arm around her.

"Dinner is served." Martin told us. We all walked into the kitchen and were instantly met with the smell of chicken and mashed potatoes.

Walking over to Vanessa's booster seat, I tried to put her down.

"Nooo dada." She cried and clung onto me tighter.

"Don't you want to eat some yummy chicken and mashed potatoes?" I asked, but she didn't answer me.

Giving up, I took a seat with her still clutched to my chest. Picking up a piece of chicken with my fork, I blew on it.

"Mmm look at this chicken. It's telling you to eat it!" Trying to make things fun her, I made my voice higher and said, "Eat me Vanessa eat me!" It didn't work, but I did get a response out of her.

"No Mr. Chicky."

Sighing, I ate the piece of chicken. Taking my spoon, I put a good amount of mashed potatoes on it.

"You're making me sad, Vanessa. At least eat some mashed potatoes. You don't want me to cry, do you?"

She picked her head off my shoulder and whimpered. Holding the spoon up to her lips, she opened her mouth. She scrunched up her nose as the potatoes went in.

"Thank you!" I told her. Once she swallowed, she returned to her place on my shoulder. Maybe she just wasn't hungry.

"I think it's bath and then bed for her after dinner." Gabriella said.

"Yea, I think so too." I told her.

We all finished our dinner and thanked Martin.

"You want me to bathe her?" Gabriella asked me.

"Yea, thanks." She tried to take her from me.

"Nooooo." Vanessa cried. I shot Gabi worried glance.

"It's ok Nessa." I whispered to her.

Walking up the stairs, I looked down at Vanessa. I felt bad. What could be wrong with her? She usually is willing to go to Gabs.

Walking down the hall, I went into Vanessa's room. After taking out her purple towel from the drawer, I took her into the bathroom and closed the door. Before laying her on the soft rug, I tuned the water on. She shivered as I undressed her on the soft blue rug.

It wasn't that cold in here. Maybe it's like coming out of the bath. You're always colder when you're taken from a warm spot.

She continued to shiver as I put her in the warm bath. Trying to warm her up, I took the cup that was perched on the ledge and spilled some warm water over her body. She lifted her arms up to me, wanting to be taken out.

"Baby what's wrong?" I was really worried about her.

"No mow. Up." She cried. Finishing up as quickly as I could, I picked her up.

Wrapping her in the big fluffy purple towel, I settled her against my hip. She wouldn't stop shivering.

Putting my cheek against her forehead, I noticed that she was burning up. Poor thing, this would explain the not being able to fall asleep and the not hungry part. Walking back into the room, I laid her down on the carped. Her teeth chattered as she tried to wrap the towel around her tighter.

As much as I didn't want to, I took the towel away from her and slipped pull-ups on her. She cried as her little body shook.

"I know baby." I whispered to her. Taking out some pajamas, I dressed her in them before picking her up.

Hey, we just came up to say goodnight." I turned around to see Carlos and Gabriella standing in the door way. They both must have seen my worried look because in a matter of seconds they were both at my side.

"Troy, what's wrong?" Gabriella asked

"I think she has a fever. She feels really warm and she's freezing." I told them.

"I'll get the thermometer." Carlos walked into Vanessa's bathroom to look for one.

In the meantime, I watched as Gabi lifted her hand to Vanessa's head. "You're right. She does feel warm."

Once Carlos came back with it, I lifted Vanessa on top of the dresser. Poor thing looked miserable. I don't know why we didn't see this before.

She flinched as the cool plastic thermometer went into her ear. "It will only take a second, baby." I quietly told her.

As soon as it beeped, I took it out of her ear and looked at it. My eyes went wide.

"What does it say?" Carlos asked in a worried tone.

"101.7"

**I thought since I only upload once a week, I would give you a treat. Anything you want to see in the next chapter, please feel free to say. The more suggestions, the faster the chapters go up! Hope you liked it.**


	18. Chapter 18

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov:**

Taking her off the dresser, I settled her back in my arms. She tried to snuggle into me to create some kind of warmth. After kissing her head, I turned to Carlos.

"Is there any medicine for her in the house?" I asked him. As soon as I said this, Vanessa sneezed and whimpered. Gabriella came over to me and rubbed Vanessa's back.

"Yea, I think there's some downstairs. Chewable or liquid?" He asked me. I looked down at the girl in my arms. I knew she would put up a fight either way.

"Liquid. And can you please fill her sippy cup with milk and heat it?" He nodded his head and headed out of the room.

I knew once the cold milk hit her lips, she wouldn't want it anymore. This way I could put the medicine in the warm milk.

I rocked her back and forth while we waited for Carlos. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"dada," she cried.

I felt bad for her. I held her head against my shoulder and cuddled her.

Finally after five minutes, Carlos came back into the room. It felt like longer, though. I watched as Gabriella took the cup and medicine from his hands. She poured the right amount of pink liquid into the milk and shook it, making sure she kept her finger over the spout, so she didn't spill it.

Taking Vanessa off my shoulder, I cradled her in my arms. Reaching for the cup that Gabi was handing me, I put it up to Vanessa's lips.

At first she tried to push it away, but once she realized it was warm, she took it in her hands and drank it. I'm glad that she didn't taste the medicine.

"Well, it looks like you guys have everything under control. I think I'm going to head to bed. Please wake me up if you need to, and Gabriella you're welcome to stay." Carlos said as he made his way over to me.

He placed a kiss on Vanessa's hot forehead and then walked out of the room.

"Thank you and that reminds me. I forgot to call my mom. She's probably wondering where I am."

Gabriella said while pulling out her phone. I watched her talk to her mom. Her eyes were drooping slowly. She ran a hand through her tangled hair.

"Everything ok?" I asked her once she put the phone back in her pocket.

"Yea, she figured I was spending the night here." She told me.

"Sweetheart, why don't you go changed into your pajamas and take a nap." I told her softly.

She gave a tired smile and nodded her head. I watched her leave the room slowly. There was no reason why we both should stay up. Plus, it looked like Gabi was fading fast. She had a long day.

Walking over to the corner of the room, I sat down on the rocking chair. Gently rocking back and forth, I watched Vanessa drink the warm milk greedily. She looked so helpless.

Once Gabi came into the room, she walked over towards me.

"Goodnight, baby," I kissed her gently on her forehead. She wrapped her arms around me and kissed my cheek.

"Don't hesitate to wake me up if you need a break." She said sleepily and started to walk out of the room

"I love you Brie."

She stopped and tuned around. I guess I hadn't realized that this was the first time I said those words to her since the day we broke up. It wasn't that I didn't think she would say it back, I knew she would. I just wanted to let her know that I loved her out loud. I knew that she knew I loved her and she loved me.

The smiled on her face was worth a thousand words. "I love you too, T, so much." She whispered before leaving the room.

Vanessa sneezed, taking me out of my thought. I took the empty cup out of her hands. She shivered and gripped my shirt. Boy we're in for a rough night.

**Gabi's Pov:**

As I walked back to Troy's room, I couldn't help but worry about Vanessa. I just hope her sickness would be over soon.

Pulling down the soft blue covers, I slipped into his bed. I tossed and turned for what seemed like 30 minutes. It wasn't the same. I was used to cuddling up to Troy.

He would wrap his arms around me, and I would cuddle into his chest. I loved how he would kiss my forehead and whisper things in my ear as I fell asleep. It was almost like his voice was my lullaby. Even though he wasn't singing, his voice was calming.

I missed the way he smelled, his heartbeat keeping in sync with mine. Most, importantly, I loved how he would always wait until I was asleep before he fell asleep. He would run his fingers though my hair and my eyes would always start to close.

Reaching for his extra pillow, I clutched it to my chest. His smell still lingered in it, which comforted me in a way. Closing my eyes, I tried to fall into some sleep.

I opened my eyes 10 minutes later. It was no use. It wasn't the same. My tiredness seemed to slip away from me. Reaching my hands above my head, I stretched and then sat up. I pulled the covers off of me and stood up.

The floor creaked as I made my way across it. Trying to make as little noise as possible, I made my way to Vanessa's room and peeked inside.

I watched as Troy tried not to nod off. Every now and then, his head would fall forward, and as if someone scared him, he jolted up. Walking into the room, I noticed that Vanessa hadn't fallen asleep yet.

Troy leaned his head against my stomach. My hand placed with the hairs on the back of his neck. He closed his eyes and smiled.

"Why aren't you sleeping, princess?" He mumbled half asleep.

"I couldn't fall asleep without you, but by the looks of it, you need a break." To my surprise he nodded his head and stood up. Before he left the room, he kissed me and handed Vanessa over to me. I sat down where Troy sat and started to rock her.

Her cheeks were a rosy pink. Her tiny body shivered and every now and then she would let out a sneeze and a whimper.

"We need to get some fluids in you, Van." I told her softly and stood up. Shifting her to my hip, I grabbed the blanket off her bed and wrapped it around her.

Not wanting to wake Troy or Carlos, I tried to make as little noise as possible while walking down the stairs and into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, I took out the last sippy cup and filled it with some orange aide. I then put it in the microwave for about 20 seconds.

My mother used to always give this to me when I was sick. It kind of tasted like orange jello.

Before giving it to Nessa, I made sure it wasn't too hot. She gladly accepted the warmness.

"Are you hungry? Do you want some soup?" I whispered to her. I could hear how congested she was by the sound of her breathing.

"I no hungry, I cold mommy." My heart broke. This poor girl was so miserable. I wish I could just take it all away from her.

"The soup will help you feel better." I told her softly.

"No hungry." She whimpered and took a sip of her juice.

Looking at the time on the microwave, the green light shone 2:40 am. Was it really that late? Troy must have gotten an hour worth of sleep by now.

Turning off the kitchen light, I walking back upstairs, with Vanessa in my arms. She coughed into my shirt and cried. Rubbing her back, I walked into her room.

Grabbing the ear thermometer off the dresser, I sat down on the rocking chair with her on my lap.

Taking her temperature while she drank, I waited for the beep until I pulled it out. Her temperature was going up. Within 3 hours it has gone up from 101.7 to 102.5 and this is with the medicine. Getting up from the chair, I rushed into Troy's room.

I felt bad waking him, he looked so peaceful. Pulling the covers down, I began to shake him awake.

"Troy, baby, wake up." He turned over and opened his eyes. As soon as he saw me, he sat up.

"Gab what happened?"

"I think we need to go to the hospital. The medicine isn't helping and her fever keeps going up." As soon as I said this he got out of bed. I noticed that he didn't even bother changing out of his clothes. I went to wake Carlos up while troy went to go get a bag together for Vanessa.

**Troy's Pov:**

As soon as I heard her medicine wasn't working, I became worried. This wasn't just your common cold. I saw Carlos and Vanessa come into the room.

"Ready?" Carlos asked as he took out his keys.

"Yea, let's go." I told him. We didn't even bother with Vanessa's shoes. She wouldn't be walking, plus she had footie pajamas on.

Without wasting another minute, we all hurried downstairs and into the car. Letting Gabi sit up front with Carlos, I sat in the back with Vanessa, while keeping an eye on her. She tried to wrap her blanket around her tighter in attempts to warm her up.

"We're almost there baby girl," I told her quietly.

Once we arrived we went inside and filled out a form. Not long after, we were called in.

"Ok, how is everyone?" The doctor asked. I hated this question. Obviously someone is not well considering we were here.

"Well, Vanessa has an increasingly high fever. She's freezing, not hungry, and can't fall asleep." I told the doctor.

"Alright, and how old is she?"

"2"

"Ok I'll need to take a throat culture." As soon as the doctor said this, I was hesitant. The doctor scared her coming over with a long stick. In order for him to take it, I had to have Gabriella hold her hands down, while I opened her mouth. She cried even after it was over with. I held her tightly to my chest and gently rocked her.

The doctor excused himself and we waited for the results. All I could think about was, '_I hope she is ok_.'

**What do you guys think she has? I hope you like it! Anything you want in the next chapter? Anything you want to see happen with Troy and Gabriella? Thanks for all your reviews!**


	19. Chapter 19

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov:**

It seemed like we had been waiting for the doctor to come back for forever. It took a long time for me to calm Vanessa down after the doctor took the throat culture. Everyone had dark circles under their eyes from the lack of sleep. The worst was Gabriella. She was the one who didn't sleep at all. While Carlos and I got maybe two hours, she hadn't fallen asleep. By looking at her face I could tell that all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and not get up until the next morning.

A soft knock was heard on the door before it was opened. The doctor walked into the room with a folder and sat on his stool in front of Vanessa, who was perched on my knee. As soon as she saw the doctor, she hid her face in my chest.

As I rubbed her back, I spoke quietly so only she could hear. "It's ok sweetheart. He's just going to talk to you." I felt her shake her head and burry herself deeper.

"Home," She whimpered. Picking her up, I turned her around so she would face the doctor.

"It's ok Vanessa. I'm not going to hurt you. I just have a few questions for you." The doctor tried not to scare her by using a soft voice. This seemed to calm her down a little.

"Are you sleepy?" The doctor asked her while he looked in her eyes.

"Me sleepy but me no fall sleep." I heard Gabriella chuckle at what Vanessa said. Everything that came out of Vanessa's mouth seemed to make Gabriella laugh. She thought it was the cutest thing when she talked, and so did I.

I watched the doctor turn around in his chair and grab the folder off the counter and take out a piece of paper and a pen.

"She has the flu, but it's nothing to worry about. She should be better in a couple of days. I'm going to give you some medicine to help her fall asleep. This will also help her get better faster. Make sure she drinks fluids and has plenty of rest." I was relieved, yet worried when I heard this.

"Can we take her outside?" I asked him as he wrote everything down. He handed the note and bottle of medicine to Gabriella and nodded his head.

"Absolutely, fresh air will help." I nodded and thanked him. Picking up the shaking toddler, I rested her against my chest.

We quickly paid and walked out, wanting to get home as quickly as possible.

"Here T, let me take her," I turned to see a half-asleep Gabriella holding out her arms.

"Babe, your about to fall asleep." She shook her head and took Vanessa from me.

Once we got to the car, Carlos got into the drivers seat and turned on the heat. While Gabriella strapped Vanessa in, I took the bottle of medicine out from the plastic bag the doctor gave us. Pouring the pink cherry medicine into the milk, I shook it gently. Giving it to Gabriella, I watched her hand it to Vanessa. I watched her drink it, scrunching up her nose in the process.

"Icky." She said while throwing the cup down. I sighed, knowing this was going to happen. Gabriella picked the cup up and looked around to make sure it didn't spill. I took it from her grasp and leaned over Gabriella.

"Van, I know it doesn't taste good, but it's going to make you all better." I said softly while handing the milk back to her.

"Milk bad," She said while pushing my hands away.

"It makes me sad that you're sick. Please drink the milk so I can be happy again." I told her sadly.

She took the milk from my hands and drank it slowly. I smiled and kissed her head. "Thank you," I told her.

Before closing the door, I kissed Gabriella's forehead and got into the passengers seat.

The ride home was pretty quiet for the most part. Small talk here and there was made. I kept seeing Carlos taking quick glances through his rearview mirror every time he got a chance to. It wasn't until we were home until I realized that he was looking at Vanessa, secretly checking up on her. Getting out of the car, I patted him on his back. "Why don't you get some sleep?" I suggested. He nodded and walked into the house.

I watched Gabriella carefully take Vanessa out of the car and cradle her. When she turned to me I saw something that made me beyond happy. Vanessa was now sleeping.

"Thanks." Gabriella whispered as I closed the car door for her. I winked at her before leading her up the steps and opening the door for her. Making sure all the lights were off downstairs, we both walked up the stairs. Gabriella was lagging behind.

"Babe go sleep, I'll be up there in a minute." I softly told her. The last thing I wanted to do was wake Vanessa up.

"I'm fine, plus you're already in your pajamas. I still need to change into mine. I'll just put her in her bed. You wait for me in your room." She said. I looked her in the eyes to make sure she was ok with this.

"Alright, I'll be waiting for you." I kissed Vanessa goodnight and then gave Gabriella a gentle kiss.

The floorboards creaked as I walked into my room. I guess I never realized how tired I was. It took a lot of effort even just to get from the doorway to the bed.

After taking off my shoes, I sat down on the bed and laid down on my back in the middle of the bed. I stretched my arms out and then relaxed them at my sides. My eyes closed, but I didn't fall asleep.

I felt a shift on the bed and then a soft grunt. Opening my eyes, I saw Gabriella crawling her way over towards me and then fall on top of me. I chuckled as her body became relaxed. We lay stomach to stomach while her head rested on my lap.

My hand found its' way under her shirt and I rubbed small slow circled on the small of her back. Kissing her shoulder, I looked down to notice her eyes were closed.

"Brie, you still need to get into your pajamas," I whispered in her ear. She made no attempt to move from her spot.

Rolling her over so I was on top of her, I grabbed one of my clean shirts off the night table. As gently as I could, I took her shirt off her. She shivered as the cool air hit her. I kissed her collar bone and slipped the shirt over her head. Pulling the shirt over her shoulders, I unclipped her bra before putting her arms through the shirt. She opened her eyes slowly.

"Shh baby, go back to sleep," I kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes once again. Throwing the bra on the floor, I put her arms through. The shirt was big on her, but it looked so good.

Grabbing the clean sweatpants off the floor, I laid them on the bed. When I unbuttoned her pants, she lifted her hips to help me slide them off.

"I thought I told you to go to sleep." I kissed her nose. I quickly slipped the pajama pants on, making sure to tie it. My clothes tended to be a little too big on her, but she still insisted on wearing them.

"And I thought I told you that I can't sleep without you." She said while her eyes were still closed.

"I'm right here." I told her. In response she lifted her arms out to me. Going back to our original positions, I gently situated her on top of me. My hand went back to rubbing small circles on the small of her back.

"I love you," I heard her say quietly.

"I love you too, Brie."

"Can I ask you something?" Gabriella lifted her head off my chest. I looked down at her.

"Anything," I said while stroking her hair.

"When Gabriella calls you dada, does it sometimes make you think you actually are?" I thought about her question for a long time before answering.

"Well, at first it didn't because I didn't want to upset Carlos, but after a while, I sort of got used to it. So to answer your question yes it does. If a person off the street asked it she was mine, I would say yes. I couldn't imagine my life without her anymore. Why? What has brought this on?"

"I'm just glad I am not the only one thinking that." I watched her rest her head on my chest again.

"That reminds me, before we went to the hospital while you were with Vanessa, Chad called. The gang was thinking about buying a house. We would all live together. What do you think?" I kissed her curls as I waited for her to answer.

"I absolutely love the idea, but what happens with Vanessa?" One detail I forgot about.

"I hadn't even thought about that. I couldn't imagine taking her away from Carlos." I continued to rub her back as I pondered this question.

"Well it doesn't have to be decided today. We will talk it over with him tomorrow and figure it out." She said and I pulled the covers over both of us.

:Goodnight baby doll." We shared a kiss before we settled down.

"Goodnight T."

I traced imaginary pictures on her back as she fell into a well needed sleep. I waited until I heard her even breaths before I wrapped my arms around her. Pulling her as close as I could into me, I fell asleep dreaming about the most important girl in my arms and what was to come ahead.

**Sorry it took so long! Read and Review. Tell me what you think about them moving in with the gang. What should happen to Vanessa? Also check out my one-shot. It's called Against the World. Thanks, and I hope you liked it.**


	20. Chapter 20

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov:**

My eyes squinted in the bright light. It was too early to wake up. All I wanted to do was cuddle up to Gabriella and hold her in my arms for the rest of the day. I yawned before opening my eyes. It took about a minute for my eyes to adjust in the light. Looking down I found Gabriella awake in my arms. She drew imaginary pictures on my stomach which made my heart beat faster. I could only hope that we move into that house, I could wake up to her everyday.

"Morning babe," I whispered in her ear after placing a kiss into her curls. She looked up at me and smiled.

"It's about time you got up, T." She said in a tired voice. Taking one arm from around her waist, I fix a hair threatening to shield her beautiful eyes. Her head went back to my chest and she snuggled into me.

"You could have gone downstairs to watch T.V. You didn't have to wait for me to wake up, sweetheart." She looked up at me and smiled.

"I know, but I was too comfortable." I wrapped my arms around her tighter enjoying the moment. I kissed her forehead while pulling the covers over her body more. I watched her close her eyes and not long after, her body seemed to relax. Now it was my turn to watch her, one of my favorite things to do. I loved how she fell asleep so quickly in my arms. It's almost like my arms are the only safe place she feels comfortable. Secretly, I was glad for this. I smiled at her. One of my hands went to her auburn curls. I ran my fingers through them while inhaling the sweet strawberry scent of her shampoo. My favorite, and she knows that.

I was surprised when she stirred two hours later. She must have been tired.

"Good morning again, beautiful." I kissed her earlobe and she rubbed her tired eyes.

"Enjoy the view, wildcat?" I smiled while nodding.

"Very much. One of my favorites." My other favorite was seeing her in my clothes, but that was covered by a think red satin sheet.

Looking over at the clock, I noticed it was 10:23. Vanessa should have come into my room by now.

"I guess we better go check on Vanessa." I told Gabriella. I gently rolled her to her back, making sure her head was on the pillow. Standing up, I stretched and then ran a hand through my hair.

Holding out my hand for Gabriella, she took it and we both walked out of my room. WE both walked tiredly to Vanessa's room. Looking in we were surprised to find it empty.

"Maybe she's downstairs with Carlos," Gabriella spoke up. I nodded and we started down the stairs.

I felt relieved when I saw Carlos carrying her, sippy cup in his hand. Vanessa looked much better today. As soon as she saw us, she reached her little arms out. I watched Brie walk over to her and take her from Carlos's arms. She rested her head on Brie's chest as soon as she was in her arms.

"Does she still have a fever?" I asked Gabi. When she felt Vanessa's head, she shook her head.

"No, but she still sounds congested." It was to be expected. You can't get over a cold in a day.

As soon as we heard the sound of claws running across the floor, Vanessa started squirming, wanting to get down.

We watched as Vanessa walked over to where she heard shadow. When she found Shadow running across the carpet to her, she stopped and squealed.

"Dada doggy!" I chuckled at her excited voice.

"Yea, she wants to play with you," I told her. As soon as Shadow was close enough, she jumped on Vanessa, making her fall to her butt.

I looked at Gabriella, not knowing if she was going to cry or not. Gabi seemed to be thinking the same thing.

When we heard Vanessa's voice, all three of us relaxed.

"Silwy doggy!" Her giggle filled the room as Shadow knocked her onto her back and started to lick her.

I walked over to her and lifted the small dog away from Vanessa. Her giggles calmed down and she looked up and me while raising her arms. Picking her up, I placed her on her feet.

"Dada up," She said while lifting her arms up. I smiled and settled her on my hip. I tickled her softly wanting to hear her giggle one more time. I stopped when the music flowed through my ears.

"So what are your plans for today?" I heard Carlos ask.

"Well, Chad wanted us to go look at a house for the 6 of us. I hope you don't mind." I didn't want it to seem like I was just using him for a warm place to live. Words could not explain how grateful I am towards Carlos.

"I think this will be a great thing for you two. How do you think Vanessa is going to take it, though?" Now I had my answer what to do with Vanessa. It was obvious that Carlos wanted her to stay with him.

I took a quick glance and Gabi and then looked down and Vanessa who was falling asleep on my shoulder. I couldn't help but give a sad smile.

"Well, it's two houses down. Of course we will visit her often. It will just take her a day or two to get used to it." I told him as I swayed Vanessa gently from side to side.

"Why don't you take Vanessa down to visit the house with your friends? I'm sure you two will want to spend some time alone with her." I smiled gratefully at his suggestion.

"We just need to get dressed and then we'll get going." I told Carlos while Gabi and I walked up the stairs.

"You can get dressed first." I whispered to her while we entered my room. She gave a small thank you and then proceeded into the bathroom, clothes in hand.

I sat down on the bed with a sleeping Vanessa in my arms. I was going to be hard for me and Gabi to leave her here. Sure it is only going to be two houses down, but it is still too far. I needed to be right next to her incase something was wrong. What if she had a nightmare? Gabi and I are usually the only ones who can get her to calm down. What if there was a thunderstorm and she needed someone to cuddle her? I think I am going to have a harder time with this than I thought.

I felt Gabi sit down next to me, which brought me out of my train of thought. I needed something to take my mind of this. Without saying a word, I handed Vanessa to Gabi, but as soon as I did this, she woke up.

"Dada?" I heard her sleepy voice.

"I need to get dressed sweetheart, but mommy's here." I kissed her forehead before going into the bathroom. I splashed cold water on my face to try to shake myself out of my mood.

Not wanting to be away from my girls for too long, I threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"Ready Brie?" I asked her when I got out of the bathroom. She nodded and stood up. I watched her walk over towards me.

"It's going to be ok, T. I promise you. What ever happens, it will all work out in the end." She told me softly while running her hands through my hair. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel.

After linking hands with her, we walked out of the room and down the stairs. Before leaving the house, we said goodbye to Carlos.

It was beautiful outside. There was a slight breeze which made it a perfect day.

It was a short walk. Like I said, only two houses away. Our friends were already outside the house waiting for us. Looking at the house, I realized how beautiful it was. It was the perfect house for all of us.

"Hey guys!" We greeted them.

"It's about time you guys showed up." Chad said while walking over towards us.

"Mr. Bear, Mr. Bear!" Vanessa squealed once she saw Chad. I laughed as I watched Gabi hand Vanessa over to Chad. As soon as she was in his arms she grabbed a fistful of his 'bear' and tried to hug it.

"Not my fro again." Chad whined. Taylor came over and took Vanessa from him.

"Hi cutie! Do you want to see the house with me?" I over heard Taylor ask her.

"My house?" Vanessa asked. I gave Taylor a sad smile and shook my head no.

I was glad that Taylor didn't answer Vanessa. Taking Vanessa from Taylor, I linked hands with Gabi and all 7 of us went inside.

It was just as nice as the outside, but there was something that didn't seem right about this house.

"Uh guys, why is everything furnished?" I asked them.

"We uh kind of moved in already." Chad admitted.

"How did you guys even have enough money to buy this house?"

"Uh Hellooo does the word rich daddy mean nothing to you?" Sharpay questioned. I smiled and Gabriella and I continued looking around the house.

"So how many bedrooms are left?" Gabi asked.

"Well, there are three. We weren't sure if you and Gabi would want to share or have your own rooms. We also wanted a guest room." Ryan spoke up for the first time.

Without even having to look at Gabi, I knew what we both wanted. "We'll share a room." I told them.

"Alright, not a problem. You both should get your stuff over here today." Taylor said.

Though this was going a little too fast for me, I didn't speak up. I thought I would have more time with Vanessa than this, but I guess I would see her everyday.

Once we were done looking around the house, the guys came back to my house, while the girls took Gabriella home to help her pack.

Packing didn't take long, only about two hours, or so. Gabi showed up to help me with the last two boxes. Setting the box on the floor, I walked over to Carlos who stood in the living room.

"I just want to say thanks for everything. If it wasn't for you I would have still been out of the streets." We hugged each other before he spoke.

"Troy, taking you in was probably the best thing that happened to this family. All I can say is, visit as often as you can, and be careful. Don't worry; you are only two houses away. Call me if you need anything." I nodded and looked around for Vanessa.

What I saw broke my heart. She stood in the corner holding Mr. Snuggles close to her. I could hear her crying and it wasn't long until I too started to have tears cascading down my face. Walking over to her, she didn't meet my eye. I felt horrible. It was like she thought I betrayed her. I sat down in front of her and as soon as she saw how close I was to her she collapsed in my arms. I've never had her hold onto my as tight as she did. Her legs wrapped around my waist while her hands gripped fistfuls of my shirt.

"It's ok baby girl. I'm here," I whispered in her ear.

I rubbed her back to get her to calm down, but it was no use. Gabriella sat down next to me. Looking at her, I noticed that she was crying too. Taking one hand away from Vanessa, I wiped Gabi's cascading tears. I don't think this was such a good idea because as soon as Vanessa realized she didn't have both of my arms she started to cry even louder.

"Ok, I got you." I assured the scared little girl.

"No go dada mama. Me loves you." She whimpered. My heart broke even more as she said this. I knew I had to keep it together for Vanessa.

"We love you too Vanny. Don't worry, we are just 2 houses down. We will call and visit every day." Gabriella spoke quietly. She tried to hide the fact that tears were falling down her face. Gabi reached her hand out and placed it on Vanessa's back.

Wrapping my arm around Gabriella, all three of us sat there for the next ten minutes hugging each other, not movie a muscle. I hugged her tighter to my chest during the last few minutes. I still could hear her hiccup trying to catch her breath and calm down. My eyes closed and my heart broke.

I knew the longer we waited to leave the harder it was going to be. Taking my arm away from Gabriella, I stood up. She followed suit not long after. I walked slowly over to Carlos not wanting this moment to end

Before I handed Vanessa over to Carlos I asked her one last thing.

"Vanessa, can you do me a favor?" She looked up and nodded. I wiped her tears before speaking.

"Be a good girl for daddy."

"I twy," Her tiny voice said as she hiccupped. I kissed her one last time and in return she kissed my cheek. She knew how to melt your heart. I gave her one last tight hug and so did Vanessa before we handed her over to Carlos. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. Gabriella and I both grabbed a box and walked out the door, knowing that if we looked back we would change our minds about leaving her there.

**Carlos's Pov:**

The one thing I hate is to see my daughter so upset. It took me about two hours to calm her down, though you could tell she was still upset.

As we sat at the dinner table, she didn't touch her food.

"Dada?" I gave her a sad smile and shook my head 'no.'

"Mama?" I repeated my answer and she sat there pouting

It was heart breaking to see her ask for them every few minutes

"Do you want to call them to say night night?" I asked her. This seemed to make her somewhat happy.

"Me talk!" She said.

Taking out my cell, I dialed Troy's number. I waited until the second ring before he picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Troy, it's me. I have someone here who wants to say goodnight." I smiled as I told him this.

"Alright, put her on." I could imagine Troy smiling at the other end. Giving the phone to Vanessa, she took it eagerly.

"Dada Mama come home?" I gave a sad smile to no one in particular. By the look of my daughters face I could tell that she didn't like his answer.

Night night Dada Mama. Me loves you." She said quietly and waited for his response before handing the phone back to me.

After letting out a long sigh I got up to put my plate in the sink. Taking the garbage, I turned to Vanessa.

"Stay here, I am just going to take the garbage out. I'll be right back." I told her, but she didn't seem to respond to me. I watched her pick up her fork and pick at the food, spreading it around her plate

**No One's Pov: **

Carlos walked over to the door. The floorboards creaked as he did this. Without so much as glancing in Vanessa's direction, he unlocked the door, opened it, and walked out. The air was crisp. The crunching of branches was heard as he walked to the side of the house. Opening the garbage can, he threw the bag in and closed it up. He couldn't take it anymore. His back pressed against the cool side of the house. His body slid down to the ground. His head fell into his hands. His shoulders heaved up and down as he silently cried.

His daughter didn't want him. It was obvious. Though this was not news to him, it still hurt. Not once did she very ask for him anymore. It was either Troy or Gabi. He didn't know what to do anymore.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Vanessa squirmed out of her booster chair. Her tiny feet padded into the hallway, trying to make as little noise as possible. The front door was wide open and her father was on the other side of the house. Her feet were barefoot. She had purple juicy sweatpants and a long zip up jacket to match, thanks to Sharpay.

"Mama Dada two houses down." She repeated what Troy had told her. She knew how to get there. She didn't even have to cross the street.

Without waiting another minute she ran as fast as her toddler legs could carry her into the chilly air. Even though her small feet were cold, she kept on running. Running for the two people whom she loved so much. The two people whom she couldn't live without.

**I hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please give suggestions. Thank you to BreezyCat for the amazing plot suggestion!**


	21. Chapter 21

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**No one's Pov:**

Vanessa's feet padded against the cold ground making chills run up her tiny body. It was almost pitch black out, probably about 9 o'clock or so. There was only one street lamp illuminating the way for her. If anyone were to walk by, they would immediately see the sacredness in hr eyes. Now and then she would let out small whimpers when she heard animals scurrying around her.

No doubt she would need a bath later due to the muddy ground. Her feet were probably black by now, frozen too.

Just as she came to the right house, she tripped on a protruding branch, making her land on the grass. She whimpered as her arms broke her fall. Not letting that stop her from reaching her goal, she carefully stood up. Her legs shook as a gust of wind blew.

"Boo boo." She said quietly to herself. She walked up the lawn, but as soon as her eyes focused on the tall house's front steps she got scared. She wouldn't be able to make it up by herself. They were twice as tall as the ones she has at home

Seeing a light on, she walked towards the backyard. As she got closer she heard people talking and lucky for her there was no gate. She walked quietly hoping to find who she was looking for.

**Taylor's Pov: **

Sharpay and I were sitting on the deck talking. We both had warm blankets to keep us from the night's breeze. She was telling me about how one store didn't have anything in pink and I was pretending to listen. I nodded my head occasionally and said my 'oohs and ahh's' as needed. She seemed satisfied.

Out of no where Sharpay stops talking. Now that caught my attention. Maybe she got distracted by something shiny.

After about a few seconds, I started to become troubled.

"What? You stopped mid-sentence." Her face looked confused. Her eyebrows knitted together. Her index finger flew to her mouth, signaling me to be quiet.

"Listen. I hear something." She whispered. Her eyes went from side to side, looking around. I rolled my eyes and tried to listen, though I don't know what I am listening for.

Now I heard it too. I heard someone babbling and footsteps. Both Sharpay and I got up from our chairs and stood at the edge of the porch. Everyone else was inside so they couldn't be of much help. As the sound got closer we started to see a shadow. Slowly, it started to get bigger and bigger. Starting to get nervous, I backed up a step and waited, debating whether to run inside or not.

I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. In front of us was the tiny toddler babbling away. Though I'm pretty sure it wasn't words, it was still cute. Looking around, I didn't see anyone with her. She couldn't have come by herself, could she? Glancing over at Sharpay she had the same worried look as I did.

Not knowing what to do, we both watched her. Her pants were muddy along with her feet. She stopped right as she got to the porch steps and looked up at us. She gave us a toothy smile and lifted her arms up.

"Vanessa sweetheart, where's your daddy?" I asked her while picking her up. She looked up at me.

"Dada Mama!" She whimpered and rubbed her eye. Sharpay was still wide-eyed not knowing what to say. I rubbed Vanessa's back while she put her head on my shoulder.

"Shar where's Troy?" He would probably want to take care of this. How does a two year old even think to run away?

"He's inside with Gabi. That last time I saw them they were in the kitchen." She told me.

"Let's go." We both walked into the house. I felt Vanessa start to relax as the warm air hit her.

Going into the kitchen, I found both Troy and Gabriella. Gabi was sitting on the counter while Troy stood in between her legs. His arms wrapped around her while Gabi's legs wrapped around him. They were both talking quietly to each other.

"Guys, I think we have a runaway." Sharpay said walking in front of me.

"Why?" Troy questioned. His arms remained around Gabriella.

I walked further into the kitchen so Troy and Gabriella could see who Sharpay was talking about.

Almost instantly, Troy helped Gabi off the counter and they both ran to me.

**Troy's Pov: **

As I looked at Vanessa, a bunch of feelings were running through me. I didn't know whether to be angry that she ran away, relieved that she is safe, worried because I see I scratch on her, or concerned about Carlos. I don't even know the best way to handle this.

"Dada." She whimpered and reached her arms out to me. Does she not know what she has just done? I needed a minute or two to collect my thoughts; I had to talk to Carlos. I walked past them, pulling out my cell phone in the processMy fingers fumbled over Carlos number as I walked up the stairs.

Closing the door of my room shut, I waited anxiously for him to answer.

"Hello?" I heard Carlos pick up, but it didn't sound like him. His voice sounded worn out almost as if he were crying. Maybe he was just scared about Vanessa.

"Don't worry she's with me." I sighed and sat down on the bed. For a minute I thought we had gotten disconnected because he didn't talk for a while.

"What are you talking about?" He asked me as if I were crazy. Maybe that wasn't why he sounded the way he did.

"You don't know.." He cut me off.

"Know what?"

"Vanessa ran away. Well, she ran to my house. Taylor found her outback." He was quiet for a moment.

"God damn it I left the door opened when I took out the garbage." He whispered in fury.

"It's a common mistake. You didn't know she was going to run out." I assured him.

"No, you don't understand. I'm outside by the trashcans still. I was thinking about a few things and I guess I got side tracked. How could I let this happen? What if my baby girl had gotten hurt, or kidnapped?" He was blaming himself. I felt even worse about this whole thing.

"How do I handle this?" I was new to this whole being a parent thing.

"First of all keep her with you for tonight. You have to be stern with her Troy. I know you don't want to, but you have to teach her not to run away. Don't be afraid to yell at her or be stern. If she sees that you are mad at her, then she most likely won't do it again." The last thing I wanted to do was yell at her. I don't believe that solves anything.

"Alright, I'll call you tomorrow. Don't worry." I assured him and hung up the phone.

After slipping it back into my pocket, I walked out of my room. I heard video games going on in another room, most likely Chad and Ryan playing. Walking down the stairs, I was only met with Gabi and Vanessa. Vanessa was gripping onto Gabi's shirt. Her feet were filthy.

"Try and be mad at her. What she did was wrong." I whispered into Gabi's ear.

Taking Vanessa from Gabi I settled her into my arms without so much as a smile. She placed a wet kiss on my cheek while I tried my hardest to not acknowledge it. She tugged on my shirt trying to get my attention, but I responded with taking Gabi's hand in mine and walking upstairs.

"Dada." She poked my cheek, causing me to unlink my hands with Gabi and take Vanessa's so she wouldn't do that. She sat there pouting in my arms and it took every bit of me to keep a stern face and ignore her.

Walking into the bathroom, I set Vanessa on the floor and turned started Vanessa's bath. She needed one. She was full of dirt.

As I undressed her, she squirmed and raised her arms up to Gabi. Though I was being gentle with her, I don't think she liked not getting a reaction out of me. Even something as simple as rubbing her back she loved.

Gabriella shook her head 'no' and sat on the bathroom counter. I was impressed. She didn't so much as break a smile.

I checked the temperature, making sure that it wasn't too hot, before I put Vanessa in. Now the hard part comes. I need to find a way to tell her not to run away, but I need to put it in words she can understand.

Grabbing the soap off the ledge, I took one of her feet and tried to get all the mud off. I looked at her for the first time as I did this.

"Vanessa, running away is very bad. You can't run away again. It made everyone very sad and scared." I spoke to her using little force in my voice. The last thing I wanted to do was make her scared of me by yelling.

"I sowwy." Vanessa looked down at the scratch on her arm.

Gabriella came over to me and sat down. Using her finger, she lifted Vanessa's chin so she would look at her.

"Why did you run away, hun?" Gabriella softly asked.

"Mama Dada no love me." I heard the little girl whimper. I stopped washing her feet and turned to her. What on earth would make her think that?

"That's not true, Vanney."

"You leaved me." She sure knew how to melt anyone's heart. I quickly finished washing her, making sure that there was no more dirt on her. I waited before answering her.

Grabbing a towel off the hanger, I rested it on the floor. Lifting Vanessa out of the tub, I stood her on the bath mat while I wrapped the oversize towel around her small frame. I then cuddled her into my chest. She snuggled into me while sucking her thumb.

"Van, just because we moved two houses down doesn't mean we don't love you. Mommy and I love you very much." Vanessa nodded her head.

"We will always love you, no matter what." Gabi assured her.

"Pwomise?"

"We promise, but no more running away!" Gabi and I both tickled her and music filled our ears.

"Otay."

"Alright, now let's get you to bed because it is way way way past your bedtime." I heard Gabi say. I hadn't even thought to check the clock. Standing up with Gabi and Vanessa in my arms, we both walked out of the bathroom.

While walking back to out room, we were met with Sharpay and Taylor.

"We thought you might need this," Taylor handed Gabi a bag. Looking inside it I saw Vanessa's clothes.

"Thanks guys. How was Carlos?" I asked them. I watched them both exchange glances.

"He was just a little shook up. We calmed him down, but he will be fine." They assured me.

I nodded and they walked back to their room.

Laying Vanessa on the floor, Gabi emptied the contents in the bag.

"We will have to thank Sharpay," Gabi said while looking at all the pink clothes. I smiled and nodded.

After making sure she was dry, I slipped pull-ups on her.

"Boo boo," Vanessa said and pointed to the scratch on her arm. She rolled over on her stomach and crawled over to me.

"Well, let me see that." I stood her up and looked at her arm. It didn't look bad, only red. Placing a kiss on her arm, she giggled.

"All better?" I asked her.

"No." She shook her head and toddled over to Gabi. Gabi did the same thing, making Vanessa smile.

"Otay me ok." She exclaimed and walked back over to me. I slipped her pajamas on, which consisted of a pink long sleeve shirt and matching sweatpants.

I lifted her into my arms, and sat on the bed next to Gabriella.

"Goodnight," Gabi and I both whispered.

"Night night mama dada."

She snuggled into my chest. I rubbed her back in soothing circles. Her eyes started to droop close.

It wasn't long until I heard her even breaths.

"T, we don't have a bed for her." Gabi whispered. It was hard to see her through the dark room.

"We're going to have to put her in our bed." I whispered back. We both stood up. Gabriella pulled the thick covers down, and I carefully laid Vanessa down in the middle of the bed.

Both of us changed into our pajamas. It wasn't until I laid down until I saw what time it was. How did it get to be 11 already?

Vanessa snuggled into me left side while I waited for Gabi to return. I lined the other side of her with pillows just incase she moved in her sleep.

Feeling a dip in the bed, I felt Gabi craw on top of me. Her arms wrapped around my neck while I covered us with the blanket. She wore only one of my Sweatshirt and a pair of black underwear. One of my hands rested just below her butt, while the other slipped under her sweatshirt. I loved caressing the soft skin on the small of her back.

I felt her warm lips kiss my neck. She looked up at me and I leaned down to kiss her. My tongue gently ran along her bottom lip. She opened them giving me the opportunity to caress her tongue with mine. Her hands slipped under my shirt as she straddled me.

As much as I didn't want to, I broke the kiss. She pouted and sat back down on my lap, one of her legs on both side of me.

"Baby girl, we can't. Vanessa's in here." I whispered still trying to catch my breath from before.

I ran my fingers through her tangled hair and looked into the eyes of the beautiful girl in front of me.

**Tell me what you think? Anything you want to see with Gabi and Troy in the next chapter? Suggestions are welcome!**


	22. Chapter 22

Hey guys, I hate to do this to you, but I need some ideas for next chapter..

-Do you want the whole story to be rated K+?

-Ideas for what you want to see in the next chapter will be a big help.

-What do you want to happen with Carlos, Troy and Gabriella, Vanessa?

-I am open to all suggestions

Thanks, I hope you all are enjoying this story.


	23. Chapter 23

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Thank you for all the suggestions! I will try to incorporate as much as I can into the story!**

**Troy's Pov:**

I got lost in the sea of brown as I stared up into Gabriella's eyes. She smiled as I ran my and over her semi-cool cheek. She leaned down to kiss me one more time and I soon felt her warm lips on my own. We started the war again, out tongues fighting. I ran my fingers through her tangled, yet beautiful, hair.

We were getting carried away again, something that we often did. After being away for so long, it was hard not to. It's like I have to get reacquainted with body. I have to know every curve and every feel again.

When the need to breath impeded us, we both broke away. I stared up at her and smiled. She was the same person I fell in love with 7 years ago. Same personality, same beauty, and same person. The love of my life and the one I would soon hope to make a Bolton.

"Do you want to see something?'" I asked her in a low voice. I was careful not to wake Vanessa.

"Sure, T." She whispered against my neck.

I let out a chuckle when I heard Gabriella squeal when I moved her off of me. She soon smiled and closed her eyes, suddenly become more tired by the second. I stood there for a minute watching her beauty. Leaning over the bed, I rested my hands don to support my weight.

"Baby girl, come on." I whispered in her ear. She reached her arms up and secured them around my neck. I smiled as I picked her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist and snuggled deeper into my chest. I kissed her head before walking into our walk in closet.

Looking on the shelves, I found what I was looking for without much trouble. I pulled the thick brown suede book from the second shelve with my extra hand that wasn't supporting Gabriella.

Walking over to the couch just below the window, I sat down, with her on my lap. She opened her eyes. I head Vanessa cough in her sleep, so I looked over at her. She was still in a deep sleep and snuggled into the covers. I am surprised she is because Gabriella and I haven't been exactly quiet.

"What's that?" I heard Gabriella ask me. Turning my attention back to her, she pointed at the book in my hand.

"Well, why don't you see for yourself," I set the book into her waiting hands.

Almost immediately I heard a gasp.

"Troy, how did you get this?" She asked me. In her hands held a photo album. It was filled with pictures from when I first met her, to our one year anniversary, to my parents, and our friends.

"Carlos went down to the police station. They couldn't give this stuff to relatives because I have none. He got the police to release them to him." I explained quietly to him.

"Oh Troy." Her eyes welled up with tears as she came across the last page. The second to last picture was take by Sharpay. Gabriella sat on my lap in a reclining chair while I was kissing her forehead.

The last picture was the one I had always kept with me. Though it was a little more worn that others, that made it all the better. I watched Gabriella trace my parent's picture with the tips of her finger. I wiped the tears cascading down her face.

"I miss them." She spoke quietly to herself. I almost didn't hear her. I rubbed her back and kissed her once more on her shoulder.

She turned around and dug her face into my neck. Her armed were secure around my neck. She let out small sobs as I held her. While rubbing her back, I stood up.

Doing so, I heard another cry. Walking over to the bed, I used my extra hand to lift Vanessa up so she was standing.

"Why mama sad?" She questioned sleepily. She gave a tiny yawn and rubbed her eye. How do I explain this in words she will understand?

"She is just thinking about some good things." That seemed like a reasonable answer and she seemed satisfied with it. I went back to rubbing Gabriella's back as I wached Vanessa walk around to the foot of the bed, stumbling on the covers as she walked.

"Whoa, and where do you think you're going?" I asked her amused while I watched her try to get down from the bed. She giggled when she looked at me.

Using my extra arm, I picked her up and place her back under the covers.

"Go night night, Nes." I whispered. She snuggled under the covers and yawned. I was surprised when she fell asleep with in the next ten minutes.

"Thank you for sharing that with me, T." I kissed her head and laid down on the bed with her on top of me.

"No problem. Are you ok, sweetheart?" I asked her while pulling the covers over us.

"Yea, it's just that the last picture brought back memories." I nodded my head signaling that I agreed with her.

She fell asleep to the beat of my heart beat while I fell asleep to the beat of hers.

Gabriella and I both woke up six hours later to someone jumping on the bed. As much as we didn't want to, we both sat up.

"So what's on the agenda today?" Gabriella asked me while stretching. I picked Vanessa up and started to undress her before answering.

"We have to go to Carlos' and talk to him." I told her while dressing Vanessa in shorts and a t-shirt.

"Yea we can't have a little fugitive running around every time we leave her." I chuckled and agreed with her.

"Why don't you go get dressed and then get her break fast while I get dressed?" She smiled at me before grabbing her clothes and towel and walking into the bathroom.

Falling back onto the bed, I held Vanessa over my head. She giggled at me as I made faces at her.

"Oh you think that's funny?" I asked her and put her back down on the blankets. Immediately I began to tickle her. Her giggle filled the room which made me laugh too. Her laugh was contagious.

"dada that ticklies." It was close to tickles. Her speech was getting better by the day I stopped ticking her and sat her up.

"dada yous funny," She said while crawling over to me.

"I know." I laughed while giving her a small tickle.

Hearing the bathroom door unlock, I stood up to get my clothes.

"Mama up! Up!" Vanessa squealed. Before leaving to go get dressed, I watched Gabriella walking over to Vanessa and throw her up in the air before settling her in her arms.

I shut the door to the bathroom, and started to get dressed. My attire consisted of a plain white t-shirt and jeans. I brushed my teeth before heading out of the bathroom.

Walking downstairs I was met with Gabriella, Taylor, Sharpay, and Vanessa eating. They were almost finished with their eggs and bacon. We needed to get to Carlos' soon.

I took a sip of Gabriella's orange juice and stole the last two pieces of her bacon before lifting Vanessa out of Gabi's arms.

"Hey!" Gabriella exclaimed while poking me in the stomach. I laughed and kissed her forehead.

"You weren't eating them. I don't think pushing them around your plate qualifies you as starving." Like a child she stuck her tongue out at me and stood up.

"Hey Taylor, I know it's a lot to ask, but do you think you could start packing our things?" She gave me a questioning look.

"No problem, but what happened? The house not working out for you guys?" She questioned. I shook my head.

"The house is great, but I don't think it's working out for that one." I nodded my head in the direction of Vanessa. She gave an understanding look and smiled.

We said our goodbyes and then headed out the door. It was a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky. I kept thinking about Carlos. I am curious to see how he will react with Vanessa. No doubt he will be a little upset.

As we reached the house, we walked up the long driveway. Almost four months later and I still couldn't get over how huge his house is.

Carlos opened the door for us without so much as a smile in Vanessa's direction. His stance was stiff. He stood in front of the door, blocking out entrance. I shot him a questioning look and he shook his head.

"Not a good time, get her out of here." He whispered to me, but just as he finished a woman walked over towards us. Her face held a scowl. Her hair was long in brown loose curls. She was pretty tall and lean. I look down at Vanessa and then back at the woman. My eyes went wide.

**I know, it is a filler chapter, but I have been really busy. I hope you like it!**


	24. Chapter 24

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**There were too many people who sent me messages to keep this story. They also didn't want anyone to take over, so I have decided to continue. I won't be uploading as often as you're used to though. This story isn't my first priority, so it is going to take at least a week and a half for each chapter. Please also take time to read My Rock. You won't be disappointed. **

**Troy's Pov:**

The unfamiliar auburn headed woman came closer to us. Taking Gabriella's hand in mine I moved back an inch, scared of what was going to happen. She glared at me and Gabi and then gave a fake smile in Vanessa's direction.

"Hi baby girl, come to mommy." She held out her hands to Vanessa, who hid her face in my shirt.

"Scawy lady dada." She whimpered in my arms. I stepped into the house so I didn't let all the heat out.

Wanting to protect Gabriella too, I pulled her in back of me.

The woman walked swiftly towards us, her hands still outward wanting to hold Vanessa. In one quick motion I grabbed both her slim bony wrists in one hand.

"Don't even think about touching a hair on this girls head or I'll break your wrists."

Ever since I got used to Vanessa calling me dada, I felt very protective of her. I felt as if it was my job to keep her safe. I felt how any other father would feel towards their child. I felt her squirm at the sound of my harsh voice.

"I'm her mother. I have my rights." Her hands slipped from grasp and fell to her sides.

"She has a mother and you certainly aren't her. Stop with the screaming Marie, you are scaring her." Carlos bellowed as he took Vanessa from my arms.

He walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch. We all followed him, me and Gabi taking a seat next to him while Marie sat across from us.

"She knows who her real mother is. Any smart child would know that." My fists gripped my pant leg to keep me from throwing this woman out of our house. She had no right to come here in the first place. She is the one that left them.

As I thought about what she said, a smile fell on my face. "You know what, you are right." I watched her face turn into a victorious smile. She once again held her arms out to Vanessa. Vanessa sat happily on Carlos' lap playing with his hands.

"Nessa, where's your mommy?" I asked her. The smirk never left my face. I watched as Vanessa dropped Carlos' hands. She looked up at Gabi and gave a toothy grin.

"Mama up." Her tiny arms rose to Gabi who took her without hesitating.

"Now I'd say that girl is a genius." I told Marie. She glared in Carlos' direction.

"How could you let her think that tart is her mother? Her face became beat red from screaming. Her finger pointed at Gabriella.

"First of all if you're going to yell, you're going to be thrown right out of here. Second, don't you ever come into my house and call Gabriella names. She is more of a mother to Gabriella then you have ever been in her entire life. She really loves and cares for her. You however, left when Van was only a week old. You expect her to remember you? I am glad she doesn't because then she will know what a low life and an ass-hole she really had for a mother. I love both Gabriella and Troy and they are suitable parents for Vanessa. That's why I left them her in my will." Her voice shook as he screamed at her while my jaw dropped at the last sentence.

Looking to me side, I found an empty space. Gabriella probably took Vanessa out as soon as Carlos started to yell.

"You do realize you're yelling, don't you? Also, the court will never let strangers take my daughter over her biological parent."

"It's my god-damn house. I can yell all I want." Carlos was shaking with fury. Looking over at him, he gave me a small nod.

I stood up and walked over to her. Grabbing her arm, she struggled against me. I pulled her towards the door and shoved her out. After locking the door, Vanessa and

Gabi came out.

"Dada," Vanessa whimpered when she saw me. I took her small form from Gabi's arms.

"Where shadow?" Her big brown eyes looked up at me. I almost melted at the sight.

"I put her upstairs. That mean lady was scaring her." Carlos came over to the three of us.

"She gone. He come out?" I chuckled at her and nodded. Placing her on the floor, she walked over to Gabriella and held onto her pant leg.

I began walking up the stairs. Shadow let out a small cry as I got closer. Unhooking the safety gate at the top of the stairs, the small black dog ran down the stairs. I followed him back down, watching her jump on Vanessa in the process. I heard her squeal, making me smile. It's good to know she wasn't afraid anymore.

"Vanny, do you want to play with her in the play room?" She toddled over to the room, running after Shadow. I smiled as I watched her turn the corner. I really needed to talk to Carlos. I still couldn't get over the fact that he put us in his will.

"Can we talk to you about the will, Carlos?" He nodded and walked over to the couch. Turning to Gabriella, she gave me a questioning look.

"He left us Vanessa in his will. I just want to talk it out with him." Her eyes grew wide. I gently took her hand and led her over to the couch. She sat comfortably on my lap and snuggled into me. My right hand rubbed her back soothingly.

"Can we talk about what you said before with the will?" He smiled and nodded his head.

"Well, there really isn't anyone else who I feel.." He got cut off by a loud scream.

"Noo let goooo. Bad doggie." We all jumped from our seats and rushed over to Vanessa.

Vanessa lay on her back, her stuffed bear gripped tightly in her arms. She struggled while Shadow pulled the bear's leg, creating a game of tug-o-war.

Running over to her, I detached Shadow from her bear. Vanessa lay crying on the floor. Picking her up, I held her close to me.

"You're ok sweetie." I rubbed her back and bounced her a little in attempts to calm her down.

"Dog eated my snuggles." The little girl cried. Looking over at the bear left forgotten on the floor, sure enough a small clump of stuffing was escaping from its leg.

"You want daddy to fix it?" She nodded her head while hiccupping. Carlos walked over towards the bear, picking it up and placing him on a shelf. Gabi held Shadow, petting the scared dog.

"He didn't know any better. He is still a baby. Shadow thought you were playing a game with him." She hid her face in my chest.

"Why don't we go back into the living room," Carlos suggested. We followed him, taking a seat on the couch, but me this time having both my girls on my lap.

"As I was saying, there isn't anyone else I would feel comfortable with for Vanessa to live with. She loves you guys and thinks of you as her own parents. I couldn't imagine splitting her up from you two." He spoke with a sad voice. I looked down to see Vanessa sleeping peacefully in my arms. Gabriella stroked the tiny girl's hair while paying attention to the conversation.

"What I don't understand is why you put us in your will so soon. You still have at least 50 more years." Gabi questioned and we both saw a tear escape from his eyes.  
I held onto Gabi and Vanessa tighter as I waited for his answer.

"Well, I don't have much time. I have cancer."

**I hope you enjoyed it. **


	25. Chapter 25

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov:**

My head was spinning as soon as those words flew out of his mouth. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My whole world was crashing in front of me. Why does this keep happening to me? I find someone who is like a parent to me, and then god just takes them away from me? What have I ever done to him? Everything around me was disappearing.

It felt as if someone was breathing in all my oxygen supply and leaving none for me. Suddenly the room became smaller and I couldn't take it anymore. I felt my body begin to shake.

Carefully lifting both Gabriella and Vanessa off my lap, I put them both on the seat next to me. By this time Vanessa had woken up and was now reaching up to me.

Without wasting another minute I stormed out the front door. I needed some air. I couldn't deal with this right now.

I sat down on the cold steps and put my head in my hands. My heart was breaking. Out on nowhere I felt fingers poke my cheek and then lay it's head on my shoulder.

"Dada?" The tiny voice asked. I knew exactly who it was, making me smile, despite my current mood. Lifting up my head, I not only found Vanessa, but I also found that wicked lady walking back over towards us. My fists clenched into tight balls. Did she really have the nerve to come back here?

"Hi Vanessa I'm your mommy." I heard that bastard say as she approached us. I gave her a glare before standing up.

"Mama in house." Vanessa whispered as she wrapped her arms around my leg. This tiny girl could speak up for herself.

"I thought I told you to get off our property." My voice was loud and stern.

"You did. I just need to talk to Carlos again. I won't yell." I didn't believe a word she said.

"Vanessa I am your real mother. Gabriella is just a pretend one." By this point Gabriella and Carlos were both behind me.

"No you mean lady. You fake. Mama love me." I never thought this little pipsqueak could yell that loudly.

"You tell her Vanny," I smirked down at my daughter as she told off Marie. To say I was proud of Vanessa would be an understatement.

"I've already called the police, so just be ready to be arrested." Carlos said calmly.

It was one thing that she was in our house before when we tossed her out. We could have easily closed the door, but now, there was no door to close, and we certainly did not want to hide in the house. We had had enough.

"He's not your real daddy either. Don't you remember?" As much as I didn't want to, I knew I would have to keep my temper in front of Vanessa.

I watched Vanessa's lip quiver. She looked up at me and raised her arms.

"Dada up." I reached down and picked her tiny form up and kissed her head.

"Him's my dada." Vanessa turned back to Marie.

"Aren't you a little old to be wearing diapers. You're not a baby." At this point I felt Gabriella pull me back. Carlos walked in front of me.

"First of all she's small for her age. I guess you wouldn't know that since you only lasted a week. She was a preemie, but I'll dumb it down for you. It means it might take her a little longer to learn something than others. She's not in diapers and she is potty trained for your information. She does however wear pull- ups." I heard Carlos yell. I guess her shirt lifted up a little when I picked her up.

"Me forgets a lot. Me a big girl." Vanessa yelled. I smiled down at her and nodded.

"Yes you are, Vanny. You tell her."

Loud sirens were now heard, which I was glad for. I think we all had enough of this person.

About two cars parked in front of our homes.

"Piddy lights." Vanessa pointed to the cars. I smiled. Sometimes you just want to squish her when she talks.

"Yes, but bad cars." I didn't want this one turning into a juvenile delinquent just to see the pretty lights.

Two officers started to walk over towards us, both having their hands on their guns.

"Is there a problem here?" One police officer spoke up.

"Yes officer. This lady is no longer welcome here." Carlos pointed to Marie.

"I am too welcome. I am allowed to see my daughter." Marie spoke calmly to the officers.

"She is most certainly not welcome here. She has been gone for her whole life. I have a restraining order against her." Carlos fumed.

I watched as the police officers started to handcuff her. "Wait, wait I can prove she knows who I am. These people are brain washing her." It took all my will not to tear this woman to sheds.

"Miss, you have five minutes." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This only made me hold on the Vanessa tighter.

"I need that woman to go back in the house and for the two of them to take a step back." My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The officers nodded in our direction.

"Ok I need you to place Vanessa on the floor and the two of you to step back. You miss, have to go in the house." I watched horrified as Gabriella went back in the house.

"It's ok Troy. She won't try anything with the police here." Carlos grumbled.

Reluctantly, I set Vanessa on her feet and stepped away. I watched as she looked around, not knowing where I went. Her lip quivered once she found me so far away.

"Stay there Vanessa." I whispered to her.

I watched as Marie squatted in front of her. "Hi sweetheart. Come to mommy." I have never heard a faker voice before. Just because the police was here, she decided to act all nice and loving.

"Mama in house. Me get her." I had to hold in my laugh as Vanessa turned around and toddled over to me.

"Up," She raised her arms to me. I smiled and lifted her up to the top step and opened the door to the house.

I watched as she toddled into the house and looked around. "Mama?" I heard her say.

The next thing I knew, she was in the arms of Gabi walking down the stairs. I watched her point to Marie.

"Mama here." I watched as the police pulled her away, struggling as she resisted. The cars door closed and we watched them drive away.

"Piddy lights!" Vanessa squealed. Walking over to Gabriella, I took Vanessa out of her arms.

"Come on Miss juvenile delinquent time for your bath."

**Ok guys, I hope you liked it. Please review and Happy Holidays!!**


	26. Chapter 26

What Happened To Daddy's Little Girl?

Troy's Pov:

As we walked back into the house, I knew there were plenty things left to discuss. My emotions were ranched from sadness to disbelieve. He didn't even seem sick to me. Was it all just an act he had been putting on for us?

Resting my hand on the small of Gabriella's back, I led her upstairs with me. My mind was buzzing, not letting me think straight. Why did god want to take the first parental figure I had in three years away from me?

Once we got up the stairs, I interlaced Gabriella's hand in mine. A tight squeeze was felt causing me to look into her chocolate eyes. She gave a soft smile as I kissed the back of her hand.

"We're going to get through this together, T. It's going to be ok." Gabriella's gentle voice flowed through my ears. My voice seemed to get stuck in my throat. I blinked back the tears waiting to cascade down my face. The only thing I could do was smile and nod.

Walking into Vanessa's room I set her down and took out a bath towel from her dresser drawer. Taking a deep breath, I sat down on the floor. If Carlos was going to put on a brave face for Vanessa, then so would I.

"Vanessa come here, sweetheart." My voice sounded tired and worn as I waited for her to toddle over to me. Gabriella was in our room taking a nap. She looked so exhausted; I knew she needed a break.

"Dada," Vanessa smiled and pointed at me, her thumb stuck firmly in her mouth.

After laying her down on the carpet, I slipped her pants off her small body followed by her shirt.

"Noo bad doggie!" Vanessa whimpered as Shadow licked her face.

"What's wrong Nes? He's not going to hurt you." I explained as I slipped her pull-ups off and stood her up.

"Him eated my snuggles. Him eat me?" I couldn't help but smile at Vanessa. Shaking my head, I took her into me arms.

"He won't eat you. Shadow likes dog food."

Walking into the bathroom, I started the bath making sure it was the right temperature. While waiting for the tub to fill up, I set Vanessa on the floor just as Shadow came running in.

Going back into Vanessa's room, I grabbed a pair of her pajamas.

"Doggie go in baff. Doggie go in baff," I heard Vanessa sing. My eyes widened, I dropped the clothes and rushed back to the bathroom. I was too late. I heard the scared dog yelp as he went in the water with a splash.

"No Van." I exclaimed as I picked Shadow out of the tub.

I tried my best not to laugh as I dried the scared and very wet dog off. What in the world would give her the idea to give Shadow a bath? As soon as he was dry, I set him on the ground and watched as he scurried out of the bathroom.

"Vanny, why did you put him in the bath?" I asked as I placed her in the tub.

"Him's my baff toy. Him no go in so me put hims in." I smirked at her as I washed her hair. I had to admit, it was the most adorable thing I have ever heard.

"How about this, Shadow stays out of the tub from now on and you play with this?" Reaching behind me, I grabbed the yellow rubber duck on the sink counter and handed it to the excited little girl.

"Tank you dada," I heard her say as she threw him in the water, splashing me in the process.

Finishing up, I let her play for a while before I took her out. After wrapping her in a big purple towel, I carried her back to her room.

"Mama?" Vanessa asked as I laid her down on the floor. Her pajamas today consisted of Care Bear footie pajamas.

"She's sleeping Van. Do you want to see her?" Vanessa rubbed her eye with her fist and nodded.

Picking her up, I rested her on my hip and walked out of the room. To be honest I didn't really want to wake Gabi.

I had a hard time walking into my room. She lay peacefully sleeping under the covers. I could hear her slow even breaths as I walked closer to her.

Leaning down, my extra hand slipped under the covers. I lightly scratched her back as I took her out of her peaceful sleep.

"Brie, come on honey, wake up." I mumbled in her ear. I heard a soft moan escape from her lips.

"What T?" She groaned, not even bothering to open her eyes. I chuckled to myself and continued to coax her awake.

"Babe, I have someone here who needs their mommy." I whispered. Vanessa was now reaching towards her. Gabriella turned over on her back and without opening her eyes, she reached her arms out. Shaking my head and smiling, I settled Vanessa in her waiting arms.

**Gabi's Pov:**

I hugged Vanessa's small body closer to me as I tried to drift back into my dreamless sleep.

"Mama," I heard Vanessa whimper. Opening my eyes, I looked down at her. She snuggled into my body and wrapped her tiny arms around my neck.

"What's the matter sweetheart?" I asked her as I ran my fingers through my tangled hair. I don't know what made me so tired.

"Mr. Snuggles gone." Vanessa whispered. Sitting up, I held Vanessa closer as I pealed the covers away from my body. I yawned before I stood up. At first I was a little disoriented.

"Let's go see if Daddy finished fixing him," I told her softly. Using my extra hand, I linked it with Troy's. I felt his smooth fingers rub softly against the back of my hand.

Vanessa laid her head on my shoulder as we made our way down the stairs. I could smell the food that Martin was cooking for dinner. The smell made my mouth water just thinking about it.

**Troy's Pov;**

Though I tried to get my mind off Carlos, I couldn't. I kept thinking about what would happen. Where would we live? How are we supposed to do this without him? To say I was worried would even cover how I felt. The most important question running through my mind was how much longer does he have left.

As we walked into the playroom, we found Carlos cleaning up the toys. "Hey, a certain someone is looking for her bear." Gabriella said as she set Vanessa on her feet.

"Is that so? Well, let's see." Carlos finished cleaning up the toys and walked over to the shelves hanging on the wall. I watched as he took the bear down and held it out to Vanessa.

Her giggle filled the room as she toddled over to him and grabbed the bear. "Mr. Snuggles you betta!" Vanessa exclaimed as she hugged the bear. She ran over to me, almost tripping over the bear's feet in the process. I lifted her up and tossed her in the air. Her giggle lit up the room.

"Alright guys, let's go to dinner," Carlos said.

After I let Gabriella leave the room first, I felt Carlos pat my back. "We'll talk after dinner, don't worry." I gave him a sad smile and nodded before we joined Gabriella at the table.

The dinner went by slowly for me. Though it was delicious, I just wasn't in the mood. I was anxious about what Carlos was going to tell us. My fork swirled the food around my plate. After about ten minutes, I had enough and pushed it away. Everyone else was done too, by the looks of it. They all were either holding their stomachs, too full to move, or falling asleep in their food – like Vanessa. Reaching over, I took her out of her booster seat and settled her in my lap. Taking my napkin, I cleaned her face along with her hands. She sure could make a mess. I should have waited until after dinner to give her the bath.

"Should we go into the living room?" I heard Carlos ask. Looking up to meet his gaze, I gave a small smile and nodded. I gave Vanessa to Gabriella and we both followed Carlos into the living room.

"So I assume your wondering how long, right?" Gabriella and I nodded our heads as we took a seat on the couch. Vanessa lay cradled against Gabriella's chest.

"Well, I got diagnosed about a few weeks back. They don't know how long I'm going to live for." His voice was tired and sad. I took a deep breath as I listened to him. I couldn't see my life without him now.

"Are they doing anything for you?" The words just flew out of my mouth. Maybe by some chance, there would be hope. Hope for our family and hope for me.

"I'm supposed to start Chemo treatment tomorrow. I'm sorry, but I need you guys to take me. I won't be able to come home right away and I want you two to have the car." He thought he was an imposition to us?

"Carlos, you know you don't have to ask. We are going to be by your side 100 percent of the time. You can count on us." I gave him a sincere look.

Our conversation went on for about an hour. We talked about everything from who would get the house, to the cars, and about Vanessa. All the answers he gave were pretty obvious. He was leaving me and Gabriella everything.

I felt sadness as I looked at the man in front of me. He looked older to me. He had bags under his eyes and wrinkles on his face. Carlos explained that he was getting tired and needed his sleep for tomorrow. I watched as he climbed up the stairs. My eyes followed him until I heard his bedroom door close.

"I think we should get this one up to bed." Gabriella's voice took me out of my trance. Everything is going to work out. The talk with Carlos helped me a lot. The doctors were going to take care of him, I was sure of it.

"Yea good idea, we have a long day tomorrow." I agreed with her as we both stood up from the couch. We made our way up the stairs and into Vanessa's room.

I watched as Gabriella, pulled down the covers and laid Vanessa under them. She placed a kiss on her forehead before brushing the stray hair out of Vanessa's eyes. I watched in amazement at how well Gabriella adjusted to this. She acted how a real mother would act. I was proud of her.

After flicking her princess night-light on, I too laid a kiss on her forehead. We walked out of the room and closed the door.

Since Gabriella was already in her pajamas from before, she laid down on the bed as soon as we got to my room. I quickly changed into a t-shirt and boxer before I followed her. My body lay on top of hers, careful not to crush her, though. I kissed her neck while my hand traveled under her shirt and gently caressed her hip bone. As soon as I captured her lips with mine, I heard a small moan escape from her mouth.

My tongue danced with hers in the moonlight as I moved off of her and rolled her on top of me. I felt her hands fumble with my shirt, trying to free me of it.

"I love you, Brie. I never want to be without you again," I broke the kiss and stared into her eyes. One hand reached up and twirled a lock of her hair around my finger.

"You're my everything, T," Her voice was soft. Our lips reconnected and suddenly we couldn't get enough of each other. One thing lead to another and well, dot dot dot.

**I had to leave it there sorry guys! Has anyone ever seen Mamma Mia? If you did you would enjoy the last line. Tell me what you thin and review please. Also suggestions are welcome. What do you want to see in the next chapter? The more suggestions I get, the faster the chapters come!**


	27. Chapter 27

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

Troy's Pov:

It was a little past midnight. I lay wide awake in my bed, Gabriella's naked form cuddled into mine. Her chest rose and fell with each passing breath. A thin satin sheet covered our bodies from the world. My fingers drew small circles on the back of her thigh. The smooth skin felt nice on my finger tips. My other arm cradled her body, her head tucked safely into my side.

She looked so stunning in room illuminated only by the moonlight. Her skin held a beautiful shine after with happened three hours earlier. Her hair was scattered every which way, but somehow it made it seem perfect. Her legs were interlocked with mine as I lay watching her.

Her mouth twitched into a smile as I stroked her soft cheek. For the first time since high school, I was able to get reacquainted with her body. Every inch, every crevice and every feeling I was getting used to. I smiled as i gazed at her. It had been exceptional to be with her again. It was filled with love, passion, and adoration as out two bodies danced with only the moonlight illuminating us.

My hand ran though her hair. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. That's when I heard it, the whimpering, the crying, the screaming of my name and Gabriella's.

"Dada! Mama!" She had a nightmare, no doubt. I sighed loudly. It wasn't that I didn't want to wipe her tears away; it's just that I had no desire to leave Gabi. Vanessa's screams got louder as I took my time to untangle myself the Brie.

I smiled as I found my boxers draped over the lamp along with Gabriella's red lace panties. Slipping them on, I walked quickly out of the room, partly because I didn't want to wake her and also because I didn't want to miss another second of her beauty.

Vanessa lay crying in her bed. I picked her small form up and held her to my chest.

"Shhhhh," I rubbed her back as I tried to calm her down. I felt her tears on my shoulder as I swayed her back and forth.

"Monsters gonna get me." I heard Vanessa whimper. I kissed her head before answering.

"The monsters are going to get you?" Felling her nod against my shoulder, I smiled.

"Well you tell those monsters to leave you alone or else they will have to deal with me." Gently tickling her stomach, I heard a soft coo from her.

"No sleep here. Mama?" It was hard to say no to her.

"You can't sleep with mommy, baby girl. She's sleeping." There it was. Her lip started to quiver. Her eyes became filled with tears.

Not wanting her to start crying again, I walked out of her room and into mine and Gabi's.

"Mama!" Vanessa pointed and giggled as soon as she saw her. I watched as she grunted and stretched. Her eyes flickered open as she pulled the thin sheet higher up on her to cover herself. I settled Vanessa into her arms before I kissed Gabi's forehead.

Turning my head to the knocking on my bedroom door, Carlos stood there wide-eyed and I bowed my head. My cheeks turned a light pink in the moonlight. It's like any parent catching their child after what happened. He could see Gabriella's bare shoulders and me just in my boxers confirmed what he assumed.

"Sorry, I thought I heard some commotion, I just wanted to see what's going on." He whispered. I nodded my head, the pink shade never once leaving my face.

"Sleep wif mama," I heard Vanessa whimper. Before I could even respond Carlos walked over to Gabi and lifted Vanessa into his arms, turning her upside-down in the process. Her giggle filled the room and I smiled.

"Sorry pipsqueak, you're with me tonight." I watched him tickle her as they left the room.

As soon as they left, I closed the door and climbed back on the bed. Pulling the sheet off of Gabriella a little, I kissed her collar bone. My lips traveled down to the valley between her breasts. I could hear her heartbeat as I gently caressed the area with my lips.

"Mmm Troy," I heard her moan. Bringing my head up, I kissed her jaw line before moving her lips. The kiss was simple yet meaningful kiss, full of passion.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling?" I asked her once I settled myself back under the covers. She was in my arms within the next second, both of us trying to get as close as possible to each other.

"Happy, but sore." Kissing her nose, I wrapped my arms tighter around her.

"If I could take that away from you I would.," I felt her shake her head against my chest.

"No, it's a good kind of sore. We need to get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow." I didn't want to think about tomorrow. I could only imagine what he would look like after Chemo. I didn't want to see him lose his hair, or see the pain the treatment was causing him.

"Yea, you're right. Goodnight my love." With that and after all the exhausting activities from earlier, we both fell asleep dreaming about each other.

We had to get to the hospital pretty early, so I woke up at 6am. I stretched my limp body awake. The sun beamed through the window, allowing me to see the beauty sleeping peacefully next to me.

"Brie, I know you don't want to, but you need to wake up," I tried to coax Gabi to open her eyes. I heard her give a groan and then watched her as she buried her head deeper into the covers, trying to block out the light.

"Alright, if you insist." I chuckled as I picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. The slight chill of the room made her body shake.

"Troooyyyyy," She whined as I stepped into the shower with her. Now that she gained some conscious, I put her on her feet. She opened her eyes and I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

As much as we didn't want to, we had to hurry. We had to face what I think we all were dreading.

After finishing up our shower and getting dressed, we tried to tidy the room as much as possible. I don't need Vanessa asking why there are clothes hanging from the lamp.

"Babe come on, we're going to be late." Gabriella grabbed my hand and rushed me out of the room. The house was unusually quiet today. I picked Shadow up before heading downstairs. He scurried to his bowl as soon as I put him on the floor.

Vanessa and Carlos were having breakfast, which I have to tell you was a nice thing to see. I don't think neither Gabi nor I could hold anything down today. We were both exceptionally jittery.

Carlos's duffle bag lay ready by the door. Things were beginning to become real for me and I didn't want to face it.

"Aw gone. Mama up," Gabriella wiped Vanessa mouth free of milk before taking her out of her booster seat.

Carlos walked towards us after he said his goodbye's to Martin.

"Listen, I know you guys aren't taking this so well, but it's going to be ok. We're a family and we are going to get through this." I knew I had to stay strong for him. He hugged us before he grabbed his duffle bag and took one last look at the house. It was almost as if he was trying to remember every aspect of it and the memories he created. A tear rolled down his face as he looked around and for a moment I wondered if he thought this was the last time he would ever be here.

**I know for some people it will seem like a filler, but i really didn't want to rush this story. So i hope you like it and review!!!**


	28. Chapter 28

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Well, luck was on my side today and we had a snow day so I took advantage of it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Troy's Pov:**

I walked out of the house hand in hand with Gabriella. We carried Carlos's bags, so he wouldn't have to. He was spending time with his daughter. The daughter we didn't know if he would get to see for the next few months. Vanessa- who is biologically his and not ours.

We didn't know if he would get to live to see tomorrow. We didn't know if he was going to get to see Vanessa grow up into the amazing person she is already becoming. We didn't know if he would get to walk her down the aisle, or even make it to her third birthday for that matter. We didn't know anything. I didn't know anything, and that killed me.

Gabriella and I both put the bags in the truck before getting into the car. We let Carlos sit in the back with Vanessa. It was the least thing we could do.

While I was driving, I couldn't help but look in my rear-view mirror at every chance. Vanessa babbled about god-knows-what as she sucked her thumb. My eyes switched to Carlos.

His eyes were filled with fascination as he watched his daughter. It was as if he could take his eyes off her. I watched as he fixed the bow-tie clip in her hair, taking the stray hairs away from her eyes while doing so. His right hand lingered on her cheek, gently rubbing it with his knuckles.

As the light turned green, I gently stepped on the gas peddle and proceeded to the hospital. I felt Gabriella interlock her hand with mine. Her soft small hand felt so fragile in my big one. I squeezed it gently and kissed the back of her hand.

This wasn't how I pictured the morning after would be. I imagined the two of us still in bed. Her bare skin pressed against mine, me whispering nonsense in her ear about everything an anything, which I know she loved. My hand would gently play with her curls as I kiss her head and her trying her best to not fall asleep on me, which she tends to do whenever I play with her hair. I couldn't even imagine what was running through her mind today. All she probably wants to do is curl up in bed with me and watch a movie.

Not today though, today we are going to the hospital. Today is the day Carlos will get his first Chemo Therapy treatment. Today is the day, we will all go back to the house with out him. The next few days will probably be the last time Vanessa will see him, or recognize him, with hair.

Pulling into the hospital's parking lot, I was able to find a spot easily. Before getting out of the car, I took a deep breath. This no doubt was going to be hard for only me, but for Carlos.

"Ready?" I asked Carlos once he set Vanessa on the ground. She ran to me, grabbed my pant leg, and tugged on it.

"Dada up!" I shook my head and grabbed both suitcases in my hands.

"I can't princess. I don't have any hands. Ask daddy." I watched her pout before running back over to Carlos.

The truth was that I probably could have carried her. His bags were small, so I probably could juggle an 18 pound girl in the mix. I wanted Carlos to spend as much time with his daughter as possible. It was the last thing I could do for him.

Gabriella and I walked hand in hand into the building, while Carlos lagged behind. Maybe he wanted to make the most of his time with his daughter.

"Hi. Carlos Hudgens," I spoke quietly in the waiting room talking to the receptionist.

"A doctor will be with you shortly. Why don't you take a seat?" The receptionist smiled and pointed to the seats in front of her.

"Thank you."

I sat down on one of the forest green chairs, pulling Gabriella on my lap. My arms wrapped around her small frame and my lips gently placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Mama potty!" Vanessa reached her tiny arms out to Brie.

"That's my cue." I laughed at Gabriella and unwrapped my around fro around her waist. I watched Gabriella until she was out of view. God she's beautiful.

**Gabi's Pov:**

Looking up, I found signs pointing to a bathroom. Vanessa was skipping in front of me, but for me it was walking pace.

"Mama Toys!!" Vanessa stopped mid skipped and began to run.

This is what usually happens. She would say she has to go to the bathroom, but on her way she would get distracted and forget all about it. That is when the accidents happen.

"Hey missy, where you going?" I picked Vanessa up and turned her upside down. She let out a squeal as I tickled her.

Finding our way to the bathroom, we entered. I was glad it didn't have that hospital smell. I hated hospitals. They always smelled of salt, rust, and the worst of them all, sick people.

Walking into the handicapped stall, I hung my purse up before turning to Vanessa. She whimpered and hid behind my leg, scared by the automatic flusher. I draped a piece of toilet paper over the sensor to keep it from going off again and sat her on it.

"Why here?" Vanessa asked.

How was I supposed to answer this? To a two year old, I doubt that 'your father has cancer' will be understandable. The last thing I wanted to do was scare her by saying he might not be alive in a couple of months.

I smiled as I looked at her. She swung her legs back and forth. Her chubby face was so innocent. I didn't dare take that away from her.

"Daddy's not feeling so good, so he's going to see a doctor to make him all better." Satisfied with my response, I grabbed my purse and helped Vanessa down, pulling her pants back up in the process. Taking a wet wipe out of my bag, I cleaned her hands as well as mine.

She stuck her thumb in her mouth, her nose wrinkling slightly at the taste left from the wet wipe. Picking her up, I settled her on my hip before making my way out of the bathroom.

As I walked back to where Carlos and Troy were, I felt Vanessa's small body start to relax against mine. It was probably her naptime. I bounced her gently to try to keep her awake. I wanted her to be awake for Carlos. I new she was getting frustrated by it because she kept giving small whines whenever I changed positions with her.

When Troy came into her line of vision she immediately reached her arms out to him while rubbing her right eye with her fist and yawning. Instead of giving her to Troy, I placed her in Carlos' lap. I however, settled myself into Troy's.

Sometimes all you need is another person there with you to help you get through something, whether it's your daughter, or your best friend, someone you can count on when the world seems like it's going against you. Almost as if, Carlos' cancer was a sign that this isn't the worst to come. In the pit of my stomach I knew, that this wouldn't be the hardest thing that life throws our way.

**Troy's Pov:**

It felt so good to have my girl back in my arms. Even though it was only about fifteen minutes, it was much too long.

"Carlos Montez?" The doctor called his name and all three of us stood up.

It was going to be hard for me to see Carlos like this. For once he was going to be the weak one instead of me. He was the one who kept it together for me and now I was going to have to do the same for him, if that was even possible.

"Here, please, let her fall asleep. I don't want her to see me like this. I don't want her to remember her father as the one who was hooked up to wires." He spoke quietly and placed a kiss on Vanessa's head.

"I love you sweetheart. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me." I heard him whisper in her ear.

"I yov you daddy." I heard Vanessa's small and tired voice give in response. I chuckled to myself at Vanessa pronouncing her 'L's' like 'y's' with her thumb in her mouth.

Taking her from Carlos' arms, I settled her in my arms before all three of us followed the doctor. With each step that I took, I could feel Vanessa's body getting limper by the second. Her head was buried in the arm of my sweatshirt, while her tiny legs curled up against my chest.

I walked into the room and sat on one of the red chairs in the corner. Gabriella sat beside me while Carlos took the bed. I pained me to see him sitting in this hospital room. My voice and heart was breaking as I watched the strongest man I ever knew, close his eyes as the needle when into his arm.

Tears glazed over my eyes as I watched the color escape from his face. I knew that this wouldn't be the worst. I would have to see him waste away to nothing over the next few months.

They always say the first treatment is the worst. Once the venom like substance spreads throughout your body, it begins to reject it at first. The nausea comes on followed by continuously getting sick. My heart went to him as I watched him squeeze the bridge of his nose.

The heart monitor was beeping in the background, assuring us that he was still with us. It wasn't his time to go. Not yet at least.

**I hope you liked it. Please review!!**


	29. Chapter 29

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov:**

My leg bounced up and down as I watched him. I couldn't stand to see him like this – so helpless. I had two girls I needed to be strong for, so crying was not an option. Though Vanessa lay sleeping for over two hours now, I knew that any minute she would wake up. If it wasn't for my best friend by my side, I wouldn't have been able to keep it together. Right now she was my rock.

Carlos' body wasn't taking the medicine too well. Nurses kept coming in and out to switch the bucket he used when he got sick. Not being able to do anything for him killed me. As I looked at my watch, I was shocked. It was already two o'clock. The truth was I was more surprised that Vanessa didn't wake up from being hungry. Her lunch time was three hours ago.

I was worried about Gabriella. She hasn't said a thing since we came into the room two hours ago. Not knowing what was running through her mind caused me distress. Was she feeling ok from last night? Was she scared to death for Carlos? Her expression was unreadable.

Unwrapping one of my arms that was supporting Vanessa, I rested the back of my hand on her cheek. I stayed silent as he closed her eyes and leaned into my hand. A tear slipped from her eyes. The only think I wanted to do at this moment was taking her into my arms and holding her. The pad of my thumb caught the falling tears as she silently cried to herself. Gabriella rested her head on my chest, while trying not to wake Vanessa by her crying. The most I could do at the moment is wrap my arm around her, comfort her, and occasionally kiss her head.

High heals were heard outside the room, another nurse no doubt. I was proved corrected when a tall nurse came in holding a clip board.

For the first time since we arrived in this room, Carlos opened his eyes. He looked far from happy.

"Please, can I go home yet?" His voice was soft and tired and I knew the second I went over there, I would disturb Gabriella and wake Vanessa. The only thing Carlos asked was to make sure Vanessa didn't see him with wires attached to him, and I was going to make sure to keep his promise.

"I'm sorry, but you won't be able to go home until your cancer is gone. We need to complete the treatments. Most patients stay for about two months." As soon as those words flew out of the nurse's mouth my stomach dropped.

How was I supposed to take care of his daughter without him? This new obstacle will be a challenge for both of us. Even though it will be hard, I want to visit Carlos everyday while he's here. I can't have Vanessa forgetting him again. He doesn't deserve that. He doesn't deserve this.

"You two might as well go. No use sitting around here all day until they kick you out. Go home, get some lunch and take care of Vanessa. Thank you for staying with me as long as you did. I really appreciate it." He gave us an assuring smile, but I was debating on whether or not to leave him. Part of me wanted to get my girls home, while the other wanted to be there for Carlos.

"Are you sure? It can get pretty lonely here. We can stay a few more hours." I wasn't going to leave until I was absolutely sure he wanted us to leave.

"Yes. Go home Troy and take care of Gabriella and our daughter." That sentence made me stop in my tracks. This was the first time he ever called Vanessa our daughter.

Nodding my head, I kissed Gabriella's head one more time before she took her head off my shoulder. As soon as I got the chance, I would make sure to find out what was wrong.

Trying not to jostle Vanessa too much, I stood up. She gave a little whimper, but soon went back to sucking her thumb in her deep sleep. She must have not slept very well last night after Carlos took her to sleep with him.

Taking Gabriella's hand in mine, I walked over to Carlos.

"Call us if you need anything. We'll be back first thing tomorrow morning." I said reassuringly.

"Don't worry about me. Take some time for yourselves." Carlos was such a giving person. I let him place a kiss on Vanessa's forehead before Gabriella and I placed a kiss on his cheek.

We both loved this man like our own father. We wanted what was best for him and it hurt us to walk out of that room with him still in it.

Gabriella and I walked down the same hallway we came from to find the door leading to the parking lot. As the cool breeze hit our skins and as the sun shone down on us, Vanessa began to stir. Before opening her eyes, she stretched her tiny body and gave a yawn. Her big brown eyes looked up at me causing me to smile down at her.

"Did you have a nice nap?" I asked her as I switched her position so she wasn't laying down anymore.

"Tummy making noisies." She exclaimed as she held her stomach.

"We're going to go home and eat." I told her as we walked to the car. During the walk, Gabriella was still as quiet as ever. I was worried.

"You were tired, huh?" I whispered to her. My fingers brushed the hair out of her face. I felt her nod her head against my chest. Unlocking the car, I opened door and placed Vanessa on the floor.

Gabriella stayed by my side the whole time. "She needs to be changed." I said quietly to Gabriella.

"How is she going to be ready for preschool?" Gabriella whispered back.

"We have a couple of months to work on her." I finished buckling Vanessa before closing the door.

Gabriella was getting ready to open the door. I couldn't find the smile on her face that I saw this morning and that worried me.

"Hey, come here." I pulled my girl into my and held her. It was almost as if time stopped. Here the two of us were, in the middle of the parking lot. To me right now the only thing important to me was her. Well, her and my other girl in the car.

The brunette girl broke down in my arms. Her sobs were silent for the most part, but out of the corner of my eye I saw the onlookers stopped and gave me a pity look. I certainly didn't need their pity. They probably thought one of our loved ones passed away.

"What happened baby girl? Are you feeling ok?" I made sure she was the only one that heard me. It wasn't anyone else's business what was going on. Gabriella shrugged her shoulders.

"Are you worried about Carlos?" I was trying to get some answer out of her, but no such luck. She shrugged her shoulders again.

"Talk to my baby girl." My voice came out husky. I kissed her forehead as I waited patiently for her to calm down. My hand slipped underneath her shirt and gently scratched her back.

Picking my head up from laying on hers, my eyes wandered over to the car to check on Vanessa. I smiled when I saw her sitting happily,

"I guess it's a little of both. I'm still a little sore from last night, but it's a good kind of sore. Just all the emotions from the day are getting to me. I mean don't get me wrong, last night was amazing, but at the same time I feel like I shouldn't be happy. How can we be happy when Carlos is in the hospital? It makes me feel selfish. I just don't know if I can take it all. Of course there's Vanessa where I have to put on a smile for her, but that just makes me even more upset about it." I held her tighter in hopes to give her a more secure feeling.

"Sweetheart, who says you have to put on a show for anyone? Everyone is entitled to be upset sometimes. You're not the only one feeling like this. I think we all are. You are the least selfish person I know. Carlos wouldn't want you to be moping around. I'm always here for you babe. Is there anything I can do?" It's understandable that she's feeling like this. All I wanted to do was help her.

"This is helping." I held her in my arms for another ten minutes before we both got into the car. Never once did I unclasp my hand from hers the whole ride home.

I took a deep breath before getting out of the car. Other than the time when Carlos was in a coma, we never had to care for Vanessa by ourselves. We never had to step up and be actual parents for her without Carlos being right there behind every step we do. This would definitely be a challenge and we weren't sure whether or not we were ready to take it.

**I'm so sorry guys that it took so long. I hope you are enjoying this story. Please leave suggestions for the next chapter. The more suggestions the faster that chapters come out. Thanks!**


	30. Chapter 30

Sorry guys, I'm having major writers block with this story. Suggestions would help immensely! Thanks!


	31. Chapter 31

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Gabriella's Pov:**

Though we only have been home for an hour, everything was going smoothly. We all had lunch, thanks to Martin, and Shadow was fed. So far it was going well, but to tell you the truth, I was really worried about how the next few weeks were going to go.

There's so much to do. Troy and I have to find a job. We have to enroll Vanessa in preschool, and on top of that, we have to go back and forth to the hospital everyday. In no way am I saying that going to the hospital is a burden, but I'm worried. This will be the first time Troy and I really played parents. This will be the first time we won't be able to turn to Carlos for advice. It was just me and him, and that scared me.

I'm eighteen years old and I have to act like I have a two year old daughter. I have to grow up and act like the mother- the adult. So now, I lay quietly the couch, my head on the armrest and my legs stretched out on front of me.

Looking down, I found Vanessa reaching her arms up to me, princess cup in on hand, Mr. Snuggles in the other. Troy however had this far-off look on his face. He seemed to be in a trance, or deep thought. His stance was like a statue, almost as if he were sleeping. Troy sat in the arm chair, his legs propped up on the coffee table.

"What are you thinking about, Boo?" I asked him while Picking Vanessa up and sitting her on my stomach.

She giggled as I took her stuffed bear from her and made him 'dance.' Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Troy staring at me. What ever is going on in that mind of his must be bugging him.

"Are we ready for this?" I heard him question me.

I thought about this question for a while before answering him. Taking Vanessa's empty cup from her hands, I set it on the floor. Vanessa automatically laid her tiny body on top of mine and cuddled into me.

Grabbing my right hand, she played with the silver band on it. The ring which Troy had given me the first time he had asked me to be his girlfriend, back when we were in high school. To this day, I haven't taken it off. I go everywhere with in. In a way, it has become a part of me.

"Ready for what?" He gave a long sigh and got up from the chair. Lifting my legs, I allowed him to sit down before I rested my legs on tope of his lap. His hands immediately went to my feet, slowly massaging them gently.

"Ready for this. Ready to be on our on. Ready to take charge." He expressed.

"I don't think ready is the right word. Whether we're ready or not, it's happening. There's nothing we can do about it. I'm sure they'll be some challenges and bumps down the road, but as long as we're backing each other up on everything, then we'll be fine." I said as I pulled my feet back.

He looked up at me and smiled. I watched as he made his way on top of me, careful as to not to crush little Vanessa. Our legs intertwined as he put on arm around Vanny and one around me.

As his face nuzzled into my chest, I heard him inhale deeply. Though I couldn't see his face, I knew he was stressing out. Sure there was some doubt on whether or not we could do this, but we would have to whether we were ready for it or not.

"Daddy what doin?" I heard Vanessa's sweet voice.

God how is Troy going to answer that on. You can't just say, _'oh I'm just burying my face in Mommy's boobs.' _I don't think that will go over to well with her. I watched silently as Troy lifted his head up and smirked at me before turning to Vanessa.

"I'm just hugging Mommy, Vanny." I let out a sigh of relief when I heard those words come out of Troy's mouth.

"Me Hug." Vanessa held her hands out to Troy. Much to my disappointment, Troy got off of me. I shivered without having his warm body on mine. He kissed my nose before standing up.

**Troy Pov:**

"My hugs are like five bucks, Van." I teased her as she crawled on Gabi to try to get to me. Her lip quivered as she raised her stuffed bear to me.

"Mr. Snuggles for hug?" I couldn't take it anymore. I guess we're going to have to wait a couple more years for me to joke with her. Scooping her up in my arms, I held her tightly to my chest and gave her a big bear hug. The bear fell from her hands as she wrapped her hands around my shirt.

"I'm kidding, for you my hugs are free. Should Mommy pay a price though?" I kissed Vanessa's head.

"Mmhm." She agreed while nodding her head.

"Ok Mrs. Bolton one dollar please." She stared at me like I was crazy. Her eyes became wide. I set Vanessa on her feet, wanting to attend to Gabriella.

"Go play with Shadow." I told her and watched her leave the room.

"Doggie? Doggie where's you?" I smiled as I heard her call for Shadow. Going over to Gabriella, I laid back on top of her. With my right hand, I fixed a hair, threatening to shield her eyes.

"You..You called me Mrs. Bolton." She stuttered. My mouth dropped open, not knowing what to say first. Should I apologize? Did I freak her out? Did she like being called that? I didn't even realize I said that.

"I'm so sorry, Brie. I guess I forgot. I mean, us being called Mommy and Daddy when we aren't married slipped my mind." I tried to reason with her, making a mental note, to watch what I say more carefully.

"I liked it." The three simple words that she said meant so much. She smiled up at me, securing her lips on to mine. One of my hands traveled under her head while the other one was secure under her butt. I gently flipped us over so she was on the top and she was on the bottom. This way I wouldn't have to worry about squishing her.

As I deepened the kiss, I heard a moan escape from her lips. Her hands fumbled, trying to get the button on my pants undone, while I slipped her shirt off of her. We broke the kiss for only a second so I could throw her shirt off the couch, not really caring where it went. Lifting my hips up, I allowed her to slip my pants off. I heard them being thrown somewhere in the room.

"Ouchie." We both opened our eyes as wide as they could go and quickly looked over at where the noise came from. Vanessa fell clad on her butt, about four feet away from us. Our clothes were draped over her tiny body, thankfully covering her eyes. All that was visible was her arms and legs. We scrambled off the couch.

"I got this." Gabriella said as she walked over to her. Grabbing her arm, I stopped her from so much as making three steps.

"I think you forgot about the little detail of you not having a shirt on.

"Well, I rather her see what I've got than what you have." She said gesturing to my boxer briefs. I smiled and nodded, going to stand behind the couch. I watched how nurturing Gabriella was being with Vanessa. Gabriella started to take the clothes off Vanessa one by one, throwing my pants at me in the process. I caught them, and put them on as quickly as I could. Gabriella then pulled her white t-shirt off Vanessa's head and slipped it on her body before Vanessa could look up.

"Mama!" Vanessa giggled as she raised her arms to Gabi. I couldn't help but smile as I followed Gabi to the couch.

"Are you ok, Vanny?" Gabriella asked as Vanessa twirled Gabi's curls around her finger.

"Me fall. Me ok." I gave a sigh of relief as I heard her answer. We have to be more careful when we aren't in our bedroom.

"Van, hunny, what did you see?" I was afraid for the answer of this question.

"Mama Dada kissie. Icky." She said as she stuck her thumb in her mouth. "Is that all you saw?" Gabriella asked.

"Why cwose on me?" It was a good thing Gabriella had an answer to this one because I was speechless. "We were really hot." That seemed to satisfy her.

"I thought you were playing with Shadow?" I asked her.

"Dog up. Me no loud to go up." She was right. We had a gate at the bottom of the stairs and at the top, which was locked most of the time. Getting up from my spot of the couch, I walked over to the staircase. Stepping over the gate, I climbed up the stairs to retrieve Shadow.

"Shadow, where are you? Come here girl." I whistled as heard her claws scratch against the hardwood floor. Reaching over the gate, I bent down and picked her up. She licked my face as I walked down the stairs. Setting her on the floor, I watched as she scurried across the floor to her water bowl. Picking up the newspaper that was by the door, I took a seat next to Gabi again. She had already let Vanessa wander over to Shadow, so once again it was just me and her.

"So that was interesting." I stated as I pulled the paper out of the green plastic bag. She chuckled and nodded her head.

"Is Troy Bolton actually going to read the paper?" She joked. Usually I would just turn on the T.V. if I wanted to know what was going on in the world.

"Very funny. No you and I actually need to find a job." I said as I pulled out the job section, setting the rest on the coffee table. I head her groan and then rest her head on my shoulder, looking at the paper with me. Nothing really caught my attention. All we knew is that we both wanted to work with kids. Gabriella wanted to be a teacher, and me, I wasn't really picky. Turing the page over, I scanned it silently. A very excited Gabriella pointed to the last one on the page. It read, 'Help Wanted. North East Elementary School. In need of a basketball coach and a preschool teacher. Call 555-212-3432 or visit Main Office if interested.'

"That would be perfect for us." I told Gabriella. Surprisingly, she shook her head, 'no.'

"Boo, I don't think it will be a good thing if I'm Vanessa's teacher. It won't help with the separation anxiety she has with us. If there is more than one preschool class, I'm all for it, but if not then I don't want to do it." She explained while looking at the page, trying to find something else I'm assuming.

"I didn't even think about that. Yea, I think your right. You just reminded me that we still need to enroll Vanessa for September." I sighed and threw the paper onto the coffee table.

"We'll go down to the school tomorrow." I said while wrapping my arm around her. My head rested on top of hers, enjoying what little time alone we do have together. After about ten minutes or so, I reached to grab the phone on the coffee table. I needed to see how Carlos was doing. I needed to hear his reassuring voice. Dialing the hospitals number, I waited patiently for someone to pick up.

"Cedar Sinai Hospital." I heard a woman answer.

"Hi I was wondering if I can be put through to Carlos Hudgen's room." I told the woman. She paused for a moment before speaking up.

"I'm sorry, but around four hours ago, he became very sick. We are not putting any calls through to him at this moment. Visiting hours have also been postponed for him as well."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. How did this happen? We were with him just four hours ago. That's when it hit me. I felt like I had been smacked in the face with a rock. He must have known he was getting worse, other wise Carlos wouldn't have gotten us out of there so fast. He knew what was happening and for our benefit, he didn't want us to be there. He didn't want us to see him like that. He didn't want Vanessa to see him like that. It was all planned out perfectly.

**I finally got my computer back, so I thought I would give you guys a longer one. I hope you guys are still interested in this story. Suggestions and reviews would be nice!**


	32. Chapter 32

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov:**

The walls were closing in on me. The once spacious room now became a suffocating one. A room that was too small for me to be in. My oxygen supply was becoming less and less. I was becoming claustrophobic. I could see Gabriella staring at me in the corner of my eye, but for some reason I couldn't make the words project from my mouth. The miniscule room was spinning around me as I made my way to the front door.

Without saying a word, I slipped my shoes on and grabbed the slim silver iPod off the counter along with the i-Pod arm band that was in the second drawer. I strapped the thick strap around my arm and slipped the i-Pod in the snug pocket.

I could see Gabriella walking over to me, but the last thing I wanted to do was sit in that stuffy room and talk about it. Little Vanessa was right behind her, trying to keep up with her. Reaching both my hands out, I firmly held Gabriella's face and brought my lips to her forehead. Staring in her eyes, I tried my best to giver a reassuring look before walking out of the house.

Securing the earphones in my ear, I pressed play on the i-Pod before raising the volume. I didn't want to hear any sound but music. I didn't want to hear the hustle bustle of the cars, or the stomp in my step. Not to mention how hard I was breathing. I started running before I even exited the property. I loved to run whenever I had to clear my head. It gave me time to think things through without being interrupted. In my mind I went though everything from Carlos staying in the hospital for an extra couple of days to what I would do without him in my life.

It all came down to me wanting to go back. Wanting to go back to the first day I met him. I wanted to go back when everything was fine, when he was well. Back to when we didn't have anything to worry about. My fists clenched as I thought about all he has done for me. He has given me everything from a roof over my head to the most important person in my life. I slowed my pace to a walk.

The sun was long gone making only the stars and the moon as my guiding light. I must have ran at least eight miles considering how far away from the house I was. Turning around, I began the long walk back. The volume on the i-Pod went down considerably, now playing more meaningful songs.

Though everything I could think of was worked out, rationalized in my head, I couldn't erase how worried I felt about Carlos. He's like a second father to me and it hurt me to see how fast someone could slip away. I know, coming from me it seems like I would be used to it. But the truth is you could never get used to it. Each time it happens, you are only burned by the effect even more. My burn was getting bigger and bigger.

The mansion in the distance was starting to become larger and larger. The porch light was off, I noticed as I walked up the driveway. I couldn't even imagine what time it was. All I knew is that I was left with mixed emotions. It all came down to Carlos too. I was upset, frustrated, and scared. You name it, I was.

Sighing as I opened the door, I took my shoes off and ripped the arm band off, placing it on the table. I ran my hands through my hair. The slight sweat made it stick out in different directions. The lights were off. Every light was off on the first floor. There was no sign of the tiny pitter patter of bare feet or the pitter patter of Gabriella trying to catch her.

My eyes glance up at the clock perched on top of the fireplace. Was it really ten thirty? Walking to the stair case, I opened the gate and closed it behind me before walking up the steps two at a time. I needed her. After the day was over, I needed her. I needed her to take the pain away. I needed her to make me forget. I want her to make me forget.

On the way to my room, I peaked in Vanessa's room just to make sure she was ok. The way I left before must have upset her. I knew there were tears by the shine of her cheeks. Gabriella took good care of her. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that she didn't. It's just Vanessa's anxiety that gets to her. She's afraid of me or Gabriella leaving her.

Kneeling down beside her bed, I couldn't help but let a tear escape from my eye. This little girl is probably going to be without a father before she turns four. As quietly as possible, I closed her door after I walked out.

I walked the silent path to my room. I could feel my frustration level rising the moment I was alone with my thoughts again. Entering into the room, I was surprised when I was met with an awake Gabriella. She sat against the bed rest watching television, Shadow curled up at the foot of the bed. Her dress attire consisted of one of my sweatshirts and a pair of underwear. Her hair cascading was down in loose curls. And as for her makeup? There wasn't any.

The floorboards creaked, making her look up at me. Gabriella smiled before turning her show off. I could only think of one think at the moment. And that was how beautiful she looked.

**Gabi's Pov:**

I hadn't relaxed until I heard the front door open and his footsteps as he walked up the steps. Tonight has been anything from relaxing. The second Troy walked out of this house, Vanessa started crying.

_Flashback: _

_I watched as Troy left completely a mess. "Dada," My head whipped around once that tiny voice spoke. She was running for the closing door. I bent down and scooped her up before she tried to run outside. _

"_He's coming back Baby Girl." I told her while trying to hold onto the wiggling two year old. _

"_No Dada." I winced as she cried for him. I was afraid of this. _

"_Daddy's just going for a run. He'll never leave you." I know she loves and completely trusts me, but Troy holds a special place in her heart. For hours I walked around the living room, clutching her to my chest. She had worn herself out from the wiggling but not the crying, it was still as strong as ever. _

"_It's ok. Calm down Vanny. We're going to go to bed and by the time you wake up, Troy will be back." I said while rubbing her back. My t-shirt was become wet- a mix of her runnny nose and tears. I walked upstairs and into her bedroom. _

"_M..me wa..want Dada." I heart broke as I heard her screams. She gripped onto my shirt as I laid her on the carpet. I pried her tiny hands from my shirt and stood up. It definitely is going to take a long time to get her to fall asleep. _

"_Mama no lea…leave. I..I sorry." She cried. I grabbed her pajamas off the top of her dresser along with some tissues and rushed back to her. My hand went to her stomach slowly rubbing circles. _

"_I'm right here, Baby. You're ok. I'm not leaving." Vanessa sniffled and hiccupped. Taking one of the tissues, I gently wiped her nose along with the tears cascading down her red face. In a matter of seconds her eyes would be chock-full of tears again though. I tossed the tissue off to the side, not really caring about it at the moment. As quickly as I could, I changed her into her care-bear pajamas and picked up the crying girl along with Mr. Snuggles. _

_She had a death grip on me as I walked to the rocking chair. She had been too upset to eat, or drink anything, but she had to be hungry. Even though she wasn't Troy's biological daughter, she took after him in the eating habits. She ate most things a two year old probably wouldn't touch. The one thing she hated though was carrots. I clutched her against my chest as she dug her head into my neck. I could feel my shirt becoming wetter. _

"_Mommy's got you. It's ok." My hand flew up to her tiny head, holding it in place. We both spent over an hour in that rocking chair and by the time she fell asleep, I was drained from the day we had, physically and mentally. I couldn't wait until Troy got home and to tell you the truth, I was starting to get worried about whether or not he would come home tonight. _

_End Flashback_

I looked up at his darken figure in the doorway. A weight was lifted off my chest when I saw him in one piece. I had fears that something happened to him - fears that he wouldn't come home.

"It's about time you made an appearance, Wildcat." I understood that sometimes you just need time to yourself. Sometimes, you need to think and rationalize before you try and solve it with another.

He moved swiftly across the floor, not saying anything as he walked. There was something in his eyes, that didn't match his expression. His expression was somber, but his eyes filled with desire and want. Troy made his way to the bed and crawled on top of it. Troy was a mess. His hair stuck out in different directions.

I stayed silent as he climbed on top of me. His lips attached themselves to my lips so quickly that I couldn't help but kiss back. I felt his shaky hands travel to my sweatshirt. Within less than thirty seconds it was off. I guess I missed when he shed himself of his shirt because my hands rested on his bare sculpted chest. His rough hands traveled up my thigh to my black underwear. His kisses began to get fiercer. This wasn't right. This wasn't him – the Troy I knew. I broke this kiss and laid my hand over his. He started kissing my neck, traveling down to my bare shoulder.

"You…. You don't mean this, Wildcat. You're upset." I said breathlessly.

He immediately got off of me and reached for my sweatshirt. Troy acted differently now. He was nothing but gentle, the fierceness gone. Slipping the sweatshirt over my head, he pulled it down. I patted the spot next to me, wanting him to join me. It wasn't hard to tell that he was ashamed of his behavior. He didn't dare to meet my eye as he lay next to me, and I could tell he was surprised when I lay on top of him. My arms wrapped around his neck and my head leaning against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart. It was the soothing sound that I loved so much. Smiling to myself, I felt his strong arms encage me.

"It's ok to show fear, Troy. I'm scared out of my mind, too." I snuggled deeper into him as he pulled the comforter around us.

"I just can't believe this is happening. I get close to someone and they get taken away from me? What did I do to deserve this?" His husky voice was heard for the first time since he left the house this afternoon.

"You didn't do anything. You can't control when it's time for people to move on. It's how you handle things that matter the most. There is a little girl in the other room who cried from the moment you left to when she went to sleep. The way you left like that scared her. I know sometimes you need to be by yourself, but you can't do that to her again. You can't do that to me again." I didn't want to sound selfish, but the simple choice he made caused a mess. His arms tightened around my waist causing me to question if I went too far or not. It wasn't my place to say how he goes about dealing with emotions, but when it upsets other people, that's when I can't help but interfere.

"You're right. I didn't think about the impact it would make. Most importantly, I'm sorry about what just happened. I didn't think. All I know is I wanted you to make me forget what was happening." I couldn't help but sympathize with him. I think we all want to forget what's happening.

"And then what's going to happen? A few orgasms, a cuddle, maybe a little sleep here or there, and then in the morning it all comes rushing back? Nothing would be solved except prolonging the problem. From now on we work through things together. No leaving the house unless you announce it please." I gave a small yawn before closing my eyes.

I placed a kiss into his chest before he turned on his side, taking me along with him. My right leg found a spot in between his legs while his left arm acted as a pillow and his arm went around my body. I snuggled deeper into his warmth glad to have him back.

"I'm so sorry about before, Sweetheart. I wasn't thinking. Thank you for stopping me Baby Girl." I felt him kiss my temple and begin stroking my hair. It was something he started doing when we were in high school. One day we had a sleepover and all of a sudden he started stroking my hair. It put me to sleep in a matter of minutes.

"Don't even go there. You have nothing to be sorry about. I love you Boo and that's never going to change." I quietly told him.

"I love you too. Don't ever forget that." My body was become limp. It was getting harder and harder to keep my eyes open. At this point I didn't care if he showered or not. His smell was comforting to me. It lulled me into a different world, a world where everything was perfect. A world where there was no such thing as getting sick or dying. It was a utopia and it was mine.

"Mama! Mama!" And just like that, it slipped through my fingers and disappeared. Once again bringing me back to the real world. It wasn't hard to tell that Vanessa was already hysterical. I loved that girl to death, but I inwardly groaned.

"I'll get her, Brie." Feeling him detach his arms from me, I frowned. My leg was taken from its comfortable spot making me shiver from the lost heat.

"Mama I wake! Where's you?" Vanessa cried. I whimpered as he got out of the bed. I felt like I needed him next to me wanting to make sure he wasn't going anywhere. "I'll be back, Hun." He whispered in my ear before he left. I was alone once again.

**Troy's Pov: **

I felt ashamed as I walked to Vanessa's room. By leaving so quickly, I had hurt both my girls. It was the one thing I never wanted to do. On top of that, I was so vulnerable that I almost used Gabriella to suppress my ongoing battle concerning Carlos. Entering the room, I found a sad sight to see. Vanessa lay in her bed, tears streaming down her face as she sucked her thumb. Rushing over to her and picking her up, I cradled her in my arms.

"Daddy's here Vanny." Her tiny hand reached up to touch my face, almost as if she didn't believe that I was really there.

"Dada no leave." She whimpered as I gently swayed from side to side. By the way she was gripping onto my shirt, I knew she wasn't falling asleep without me anytime soon.

"Do you want to sleep with me and mommy?" I asked her while kissing her temple

In response to my question, she just laid her head on my shoulder. That seemed like a 'yes' to me. Grabbing Mr. Snuggles off the bed, I walked back to our bedroom. Gabriella sat up in bed, probably waiting for me to come back.

"Mama me find Dada!" I smiled down at Vanessa. She looked so proud of herself

"You found your Daddy? Good job Ness." Gabi giggled.

Getting back into the bed, I was hit with yet another dilemma. I knew Gabriella needed me to be next to her, but I couldn't leave Vanessa on the edge of the bed. I looked at Gabriella's pillows suddenly getting an idea. She never really used those pillows anyway. I took both of them from behind her and lined them up along the edge of the bed. I lay flat on my back, setting Vanessa against my left side. Gabriella lay back down, using my chest as a pillow. Her right leg was spread over my waist getting as close to me as she could.

My left arm went around my daughter while my right went around my best friend. I was in heaven. Sometimes all you need is family to take your mind off the bad. It's the best medicine. I was finally able to relax and put my racing mind at rest when my mind slipped into a worry free dream.

**I'm sorry for not updating this story, I had major writers block. You know the drill. What do you want to see in the next chapter? I hope you enjoyed it.**


	33. Chapter 33

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Gabi's Pov:**

There is not a doubt in my mind that today is going to be a long day. Gabriella and I had to get Vanessa fed, dressed, and looking presentable by 8 o'clock. Then, Gabriella and I both had to take showers, get dressed and pack a bag for the day. At 9 o'clock we were supposed to be at North East Elementary School to hopefully enroll Vanessa and find a job.

At about 7 o'clock we called the school to ask if we could come in. I also made a note to tell her about Vanessa's anxiety. She had said Vanessa should be in the classroom for a couple of hours to see how she would do. To tell you the truth, I'm nervous as to how Vanessa will take it. She doesn't do too well in unknown situations.

At two o'clock we were supposed to go over to the hospital, which was the part I was dreading. I didn't know if I would be able to hold it together seeing him fighting for his life. To top the end of the day off, we were invited to a barbeque with the gang. I'll be surprised if we make it there.

I sighed as I watched Vanessa throw her eggs at the wall. Gabriella is in the shower, leaving me and Martin to control the wild child. "No want." Vanessa pouted. Martin went to clean to wall as I put my plate in the sink.

"Vanessa Hudgens, we do not throw food in this house." I said as sternly as possible. It is very rare for anyone to yell at her. Once we raise our voice at her, she just looks up innocently as us. She's cute and she knows it. The problem is, is that she knows she can get away with anything.

"Icky Dada." Her big brown eyes looked up at me, making me soften in an instant.

"Do you want cereal instead?" Opening the cabinet door, I took out the half full box of Cheerios.

"I no hungry. I sleepy." Finishing the glass of orange juice, I placed it on top of my plate and walked over to Vanessa.

"Thank you for breakfast, Martin. Sorry about Vanessa's artwork" I nodded in the direction of the egg covered wall as I took Vanessa out of her booster seat. She laid her head on my chest and started sucking her thumb. No doubt she will be asleep when we get to the school.

As I walked towards the stairs, I noticed that Shadow's bowl had been filled. "Hey, that was quick." Gabriella met me half way to our room. She looked beautiful in the simple yellow sun dress she put on. Her hair was half up, with cascading curls.

"Yea well have you looked at the time? We have thirty minutes. I'll take sleeping beauty and you get your butt in the shower." Gabriella giggled as she carefully took Vanessa's sleeping form off my hip. After kissing Gabriella's forehead, I watched my two girls walk away.

Not having much time, I walked into my bathroom and took the fastest shower possible. I knew I wanted to look presentable, but I didn't want to be over dressed. It was supposed to be a meeting with the principal about Vanessa followed by our interviews. Going through my closet, which was filled with Gabriella's clothes too, I decided on a simple light blue button up shirt along with a pair of dark wash jeans.

Shadow whimpered at my feet. "Hey there girl." I cooed as I picked her up. I chuckled quietly when she whimpered yet again and licked my nose.

"Are you not getting enough love today?" She barked at me as I scratched her head. I swear she can understand me.

"Your buddy's sleeping, I know." I moved some clothes off the top of the dresser, finding one of Vanessa's pink bowtie hair bands. Setting Shadow on the dresser, I secure the hair tie on top of her head. I'm no hair dresser. That's Gabriella's expertise, but I thought I did a good job. It looked normal. The tiny of pitter patter of feet flowed through my ears, signaling that Vanessa was awake. Chuckling, I set the tiny dog on the floor

"Oh Shadow! Yous piddy!" Vanessa squealed.

Gabriella had put her in a matching sun dress. I watched with amused eyes as Gabriella came rushing in after her carrying a bag along with Vanessa's hairbrush in her mouth. She set the white bag on our bed and took the brush out of her mouth.

"You need to grab some extra clothes to change into later, while I do her hair. She needs sandals, clean ones. We need to pack some food for her and a lunch. We only have five minutes, Troy." I watched silently as a flustered Gabriella ran to Vanessa and began quickly brushing her curly locks. The princess brush went into the white bag once she was done.

"Troy come on." She said in a hurried voice as she opened my dresser draw and took out a pair of boxers along with a white short sleeve shirt, and khaki shorts, throwing them across the room so they landed on the bed.

"Hey." My voice came out husky as I grabbed her thin wrists and pulled her to my chest.

"We have time. It's ok." I whispered to her.

"I know. I'm..I'm just…I don't know." Kissing the top of her head, she buried her face in my chest.

"Talk to me. What's going on baby?" Lifting my head up to check on Vanessa, I noticed that she somehow reached the bag on top of the bed and knocked it to the floor. She was now emptying all the content out. I shook my head as I watched her take interest in unfolding all the clothes.

"I'm just worried about how this whole Preschool thing is going to go. I don't want to leave her there crying." Gabriella lifted her head from my chest looked at Vanessa. A small gasp escaped from her lips.

"I'm worried too, but everything is going to be ok. She'll love it. I promise you we won't leave her crying." I soothed all her fears and saw her smile up and nod.

"And now, if we don't get moving, we will be late. You get her shoes, Mr. Snuggles, and fix the bag that Miss Trouble Maker messed up, while I get her lunch together. We'll leave in ten minutes." I kissed her forehead before leaving the room to make lunch. I didn't want to say anything, but I had the exact same fears.

**Gabi's Pov**:

You leave this girl unattended for five seconds and all hell breaks loose. Sitting on the floor in front of her, I watched as she took the contents out one by one and examined them.

"Where going? Why cwose?" Her tiny voice piped up as she handed me the clothes one by one. I began re-folding, placing them off to the side so she couldn't destroy them again.

"We are going to visit a School. Then, we are going to see daddy, and then we're going to a barbeque with our friends." Her eyes lit up as I explained the agenda for today to her.

"Me miss Daddy. Hims my buddy." I gave her a sad smile and finished putting everything back into the bag.

"Come on, time to go, Pipsqueak." She giggled and raised her tiny arms to me. Settling the bag strap on my shoulder, I bent down and picked Vanessa up and walked out of the room.

"Are her shoes by the front door, Boo?" I called down to Troy. I heard silence for a few minutes, other than the babbling coming from Vanessa. I would call it singing, but it definitely was not in the English language – or any language for that matter.

"They were by the coffee table." Troy said as he met me at the bottom of the stairs. I grabbed Vanessa's new Care Bears lunch box from him along with her pink juice cup so he could put her sandals on. While he was doing that, I slipped her cup in my bag

"Ok, ready to go?" He asked, taking the bags from me. I nodded, adjusting Vanessa on my hip. Troy walked out of the house, while I started to follow him.

"Oh Gabriella, you'll need these." Martin came from the kitchen waving a blue folder. Giving him a questioning look, I took it from his hands and skillfully opened it with one hand. It contained all of Vanessa's information from her health forms to her registration forms. I completely forgot about filling out the forms.

"Oh Martin, thank you! How did you know we didn't have her registration forms?" I gave him a smile and closed the folder.

"With everything going on, I just want you to know that I'm keeping an eye on things. Whatever you need, I'm here. Think of me as another set of hands." Walking over to him, I gave him a hug. It's nice to know that we have backup incase we're not doing things correctly. Right now I felt like the luckiest person on the earth.

"See you later Martin, and thanks again." I waved before walking out of the house, shutting the door behind me. I strapped Vanessa into her car seat and got into the passengers seat. Troy backed out of the driveway, while I kept looking in the mirror at Vanessa. I hated to see her cry. I didn't want to see my daughter upset. No mother wants that. I just hope the other kids are nice to her. If this ends badly, that could mean we have a pre-school drop-out on our hands, which wouldn't be too good considering today isn't even a real school day. Turning into the school parking lot, we found an empty spot right in front of the school. Looking at the dashboard right before he turned off the car, I noticed that we were only five minutes late.

"The principle said she will be waiting for us in the main office." Troy said as he settled Vanessa on his hip. Grabbing the bag out from the back, I took out her sippy cup and gave it to her. We weren't even in the building yet and she was already clinging to Troy. After closing the car door, I linked hands with Troy walked into the building. I fell in love with how the school looked the moment I walked through those double doors. It was decorated in bright, happy colors. Kid's painting covered the bulletin boards, and the walls had fun characters all over them.

"Thank you." I whispered to Troy as he held the office door open to me.

"Hi I'm Helen. You must be Troy and Gabriella, and this little one must be Vanessa." A middle age woman met us at the door. Troy and I shook her hand while Vanessa looked at the new surroundings.

"Nice to meet you, Helen." Troy spoke up as he put Vanessa down, keeping a firm grip on her hand.

"Alright, I think it will be best to go to the preschool classroom first and then we can have the interviews. I'm putting Vanessa in Miss. Kristen's class today. She is one of the school's favorite teachers. The class has three and four year olds." She led us to the class room as she explained the class to us. As we got closer and closer to the room, I was dreading the crying that would soon take place.

"The kids should just be entering the classroom now. There is a door outside where they line up. The parents usually stay for about five minutes to help get the kids settled in." The classroom was even more cheerful.

"I'm a little concerned about this." Troy motioned to the four year olds running around. Most of the three year olds were still saying their goodbyes to their parents. "You have nothing to worry about. She'll be fine. The kids settle down once the bell rings." Troy nodded and watched the kids.

"No want to fall. I's yittle." Vanessa stared up at Helen. Her tiny arms wrapped around Troy's leg.

"Don't worry, Sweetheart. They won't trip you." Helen crouched down to Vanessa's height.

"Hello, I'm Miss. Kristen." A nice lady about mid twenty's greeted us. She seemed nice.

"Gabriellla." I said while shaking her hand. Troy introduced himself along with Vanessa. Most of the parents were starting to leave, and I knew it was getting closer and closer to the time that we should leave.

"Today's going to be fun Vanessa. You're going to make lots of friends, color, have some lunch, and have story time." The teacher explained to her. I took Vanessa's cup from her hands, and stuffed it back in my bag. Troy lifted Vanessa up in his arms and hugged her.

"You're going to have so much fun, Vanny. We'll pick you up in a few hours. I love you." Troy spoke quietly to her. After handing Miss. Kristen Vanessa's lunch box, I took my daughter from Troy's arms.

"No go. I stay wiff you Mama." I clutched her tighter to my chest, as she whimpered. My heart was breaking already. It gave me a little relief that we would be in the school if something happened.

"You'll be fine baby. I promise we will come back to pick you up." As much as it pained me, I set her on the floor. She reached up to us, but we knew it would only make it harder for her if we stayed too long. Her lip quivered as she looked up at me. This was it, I was caving in. At this point I just wanted to take her home.

"Don't be afwaid. I take care of you." Out of nowhere this little blonde boy with wavy hair and bright blue eyes came up to Vanessa and grabbed her hand. He looked to be about three and was at least a foot and a half taller than Vanessa.

"What's your name little man?" Troy crouched down next to them.

"Zachary, Mister." He had the cutest voice.

"This is Vanessa. Watch out for her today. Ok Zac?" I smiled as Troy ruffled the little boys hair.

"Come on. Let's go color. You can use my cwayons, I have the 64 pack!" Zac said excitedly. I remember when I was in preschool. Things were so simple back then. All you ever needed to worry about was who will share crayons and trade lunch with you. It was a time of innocence. It was a time I now treasure. I was brought out of my trance when Vanessa hugged my leg.

"I yove you Mommy." I hugged her back before she switched to Troy.

"I yove you Dada." Zac took her hand once more and lead her over to his table. I chuckled when Zac pulled the extra chair out for Vanessa.

"She's deathly allergic to peanuts." I overheard the ending of Troy's conversation with the teacher. It's a good think he remembered to tell her that, otherwise lunchtime would end up being a trip to the hospital if someone offered her some of their lunch.

"You have nothing to worry about, she'll be fine. It was nice to meet you. I'll see you in three hours." Miss. Kristen left us to tend to her class. Helen stood in the hallway, waiting for us to follow her.

Troy put his arm around my shoulder. We stood there for a minute watching the scene before us. Vanessa was having trouble getting onto the chair. I had the urge to help her, but I knew that would disturb the class. Our smiles seemed to stretch a mile long as Troy and I watched Zac get out of his chair and stand by Vanessa. Despite only being a foot and a half taller than her, he picked her up and set her on the chair. We laughed quietly to ourselves as Zac used all of his muscles to push Vanessa in. Zac smiled once he accomplished it and sat back down, taking out his crayon box and placing it between the two of them.

"She's going to be just fine." I nodded, agreeing with Troy and walked out of the classroom with linked hands, ready to start our interviews.

**Sorry for the wait. You know the drill. What do you want to see in the next chapter? Anything you want to happen? Hope you liked it!**


	34. Chapter 34

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Miss. Kristen's Pov:**

After learning about the letter X, I sat at my desk and began to go over lesson plans. The kids were eating lunch at the moment, and this was my only free time to work on what I was going to have the class do tomorrow. Looking up from my desk to check on the kids, I smiled. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves; especially Zachary and Vanessa.

I watched as they swapped sandwiches along with sharing their snacks. Before Zachary gave her half of his sandwich, he broke it up in little pieces, which I thought was adorable. He then took his napkin and wiped her face, which Vanessa didn't really seem to care for, but what kid does? You always dread when the parent goes and wipes your face, or wipes your nose. For some reason kids always seem to turn away.

Zac has been exceptionally good to her. He has made sure she has everything she needs, including more juice which he made a point to tell me the second she finished. However, I haven't seen her talk to the other kids. She seems shy. Shaking my head and chuckling, I returned to my papers. I waited about ten more minutes before getting up from my desk.

"Ok boys and girls. Let's clean up so we can have story time." I said as I went around carrying the garbage. I put it down when I got to Zac and Vanessa.

"Vanessa, would you like to pick the story today?" I asked her as I picked her up and stood her on the chair so I could wipe the crumbs off of her.

"Cindawella." She said as she lifted her arms up to me. I smiled as I picked her up.

"Good choice. That one's my favorites." Vanessa smiled and started to suck her thumb. I could tell she was getting tired, but naptime wasn't until after story time.

"Don't take her away." I watched as Zac quickly got up from his chair. He looked up at me with a scared look on his face.

"We're just going over to the rug. Would you like to sit on the rocking chair with Vanessa?" I figured since I rotate who gets to sit on the rocking chair, he would be a good person to pick next. He really stepped up today and is taking care of Vanessa. He smiled and nodded as he took my hand.

The class was already sitting down waiting for me. After placing Vanessa on the chair, I helped Zac get on before sitting down in front of the class. I smiled as I watched Zac put his arm around Vanessa. My only thought was that I hope the two of them are in my class next year.

**Gabriella's Pov:**

My palms were getting clammy as I sneaked a peak at the clock for the third time in the past twenty minutes. Helen was interviewing Troy, so I was outside the office on the green uncomfortable chair waiting for him. My interview went ok, I think. She seemed to be impressed by my experience, so I think I have a pretty good chance. The interview only last for about thirty minutes, but to me it felt like a life time.

It was the only think that kept me from looking at the clock. I wanted to get back to Vanessa. I wanted to see how she was doing. Did she make any friends? Were the other kids being nice to her? Somehow, I found myself wandering the halls. My mind seemed to be off somewhere on its own. The only thing I could think about was getting back to my daughter. I just needed to know if she was ok.

As I came to her classroom, I peered into the window. The sight I saw was adorable. While her teacher, Miss. Kristen was reading a story, she and Zac fell asleep by the looks of it. Reaching for my cell phone, I took a picture of the two. Vanessa had fallen asleep leaning against Zac. Zac had his arm around Vanessa and his head on hers. Worrying about her was silly. She was fine. Heck, she was more than fine. After watching her for a few more minutes, I walked back to the office. Troy's interview should be about done.

"Ok thank you," Looking up, I found Troy shaking Helen's hand. I got up from my chair and walked over to them.

"So you probably will be hearing from me within the week if you two get the job. I just need to go over a few things, such as background checks, and stuff like that." She said with a smile. We both shook her hand before collecting our bags.

"Can we get Vanessa?" I anxiously asked Troy. I couldn't wait to see her again. I needed to have her in my arms. To keep her safe. It scared me.

**Troy's Pov: **

Gabriella and I walked hand in hand as we made our way back to Vanessa's classroom. Through the window I could see about eighteen kids sleeping peacefully. Just by glance, I couldn't find Vanessa though.

Gabriella and I were very quiet as we entered the room. Some of them shut their eyes as soon as I walked in, pretending to be asleep. I remember when I used to do that. I always hated naps when I was in school. The funny thing is though, as time went on, I look back on how easy things were. During my last years of high school I realized that it would be great to have a nap during the day. I found it funny that naps were "un-cool" in kindergarten, but as you got older it became the opposite.

As soon as Miss. Kristen saw us, she got up from her desk. "Why don't we go some place we don't have to whisper." Miss Kristen said quietly as she led Gabriella and me out of the room.

"How is she? Did she behave?" Gabriella's voice was anxious.

"She did pretty well thanks to Zachary. He really helped her today. She is behind developmentally though. It's not something to worry about now though. Most kids catch up by age four." She was fine. I let out a breath of relief that I wasn't aware I was holding in.

"Is there anything we should work on with her. You know, to catch her up?" I wanted what was best for Vanessa. Gabriella would agree with me. A long time ago we agreed that what ever happens, we would make sure Vanessa was our first priority.

"Like I said before, it is nothing to worry about. If you want though, encourage her to use her words. She's a very quiet girl so if she needed something she would either point or say, "dat." I nodded and squeezed Gabriella's hand. It was hard listening to Miss. Kristen. To me, Vanessa is perfect.

"I guess it is just the environment here. At home she talks a lot more, but I will encourage for her to not be so shy." I felt the need to defend my daughter. I wasn't lying either. She tells me what she needs. That isn't a problem.

"It was a pleasure to have her in class today." Miss Kristen said as she opened the door to the room. Gabriella detached her hand from mine. I watched as she walked to get Vanessa's bag from a cubby.

I didn't know whether to feel sad or happy when I saw Vanessa sleeping against Zac. I was so happy and thankful that Zac helped her through the day, but I don't think she should be starting such teenager trends so young. I'm not ready for her to have crushes just yet. After walking through the obstacle course of sleeping bodies to get to Vanessa, I bent down and picked her up.

At almost the exact same time, Zac and Vanessa's eyes fluttered open. She gripped onto my shirt with one hand, while the other wrapped around my neck. Her head lay on my shoulder as I kissed her forehead.

"Vanessa no leave." I heard Zac say sadly. Bending down to his level, I helped him off the chair he was trying to get off of.

"I'm sorry buddy, but we have to. Thank you for taking care of Vanessa today." I ruffled his hair and stood up.

"Never gonna see Vanessa again?" He exclaimed sadly. I looked at Gabriella for some help.

"How about a play date one day? Would that be better?" Zac listened to Gabriella and nodded his head while smiling.

"Tell your mommy, ok?" I tried to place Vanessa on the floor so she could hug him goodbye, but she wouldn't let go of my shirt. "Say bye-bye to Zac, Ness." I pried her hands off my shirt and set her down. Zac wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Bye-bye Zac. Me gonna miss you." I smiled as I watched Vanessa hug Zac back before turning to Gabi and lifting her tiny arms up.

"Do you think you can give Zac's mom our information?" I asked Miss. Kristen.

"Absolutely. It was nice meeting you." We all said our goodbye's before walking out of the door. As Gabriella was carrying Vanessa, Vanessa looked over Gabi's shoulder and waved to Zac before he was out of sight.

"Home Dada?" I shook my head. "We're going to visit Daddy. Remember? I pushed her bangs out of her eyes that lit up as soon as I mentioned him. She missed him. It was obvious. I missed him too. It's weird not having him around.

"You missy are going potty first." I kissed Gabriella and took Vanessa's bag from her as we stopped at one of the many bathrooms in the school.

"Dat icky Mama." I chuckled as I heard Vanessa say in the distance. If only she would stay as innocent as she is right now. I only waited about five or so minutes before I saw my two girls again. After taking Vanessa from Gabi's arms, I took Brie's hand and started walking out of the building.

"Did you have fun at school?" I asked Vanessa as I strapped her into the car. "Me drawed a piture." Vanessa exclaimed.

"You did? What else did you do? Did you make friends?" I closed the car door and opened Gabriella's for her before I got into the drivers seat. "Zaccy! Him's my friend. Him's nice." I smiled as I watched her eyes light up in my rearview mirror.

For the most part, the rest of the ride was silent. Needless to say Gabriella and I were very worried about Carlos. We didn't know what he would look like, and we were worried about Vanessa recognizing him. I knew he would look different, but Vanessa didn't. She didn't know how sick he was. We didn't know how much longer he would be around, or if he would get better. We didn't know and it killed us. I pulled into the first spot I could find and parked the car. I wasn't sure if I was ready to do this. I wasn't sure if I wanted to. I wanted to remember Carlos the way he was – when he wasn't sick. I didn't want to see him hairless and sick. I wanted to see the strong man I grew so close to in the past few months. I wanted to see that strong father who always wanted the best for his daughter. Most importantly, I wanted to see him get well. We could pretend like none of this happened. As if this was all a dream. Everyone would be well again and the only thing we would be worried about is if Vanessa scraped a knee.

Sighing, I opened the car door and got out. I must have missed Gabriella get out of the car because she was standing behind the car waiting for me.

"It's going to be ok, Boo." Gabriella reassured me as she took my hand in hers. The hospital was crowded today. Doctors were running all over the place, nurses screaming to find doctors. Going up to the receptionist, I found her searching through what I assumed to be an address book.

"Hi Carlos Montez." I was confused as to why she gave me a sad smile, but waved it off.

"I was just trying to find you number. You can proceed down this hallway, there should be a doctor waiting for you." She said as she pointed to the hallway on the right. Gabriella and I locked eyes for a brief second before we ran down the hallway. Something was up. Something wasn't right, it was obvious.

There was a doctor sitting right outside Carlos' room. His face was somber as he stood up to greet us. "What's going on? What's wrong? Is Carlos ok?" I couldn't stop the questions from escaping my mouth. I needed to now what was wrong with him.

"I'm sorry, but we have done everything we can. It seems that the cancer is over taking his body. He is not responding to any medicine we put him on. He is fighting to stay alive to see his daughter. He is drained, physically and mentally. The best thing to do for him is go in now, so he can finally have some peace. He won't rest until he sees her. I'm so sorry. I wish there was more that we can do."

The doctor bowed his head. My fists gripped my pants as I tried to control my anger. "Isn't there anything else you can try? A different medicine? Something else, please?" I tried to control my anger so I didn't yell. The doctor shook his head and opened Carlos' door. Sucking in a breath, I walked in before Gabriella and Vanessa did.

There he was. It looked like he had aged ten years at least. His face was pale and his head was bare. There were dark purple rings under his eyes, showing his lack of sleep. His chest rose up and down quickly as he fought the urge to close his eyes. "Carlos" I whispered as I walked towards the bed. "It's…alright..son. Sit…down." He gasped between each word he spoke. The only word that stood out to me was son. I couldn't take it anymore. I engulfed him in a hug. His frail arms patted my back.

"You are one of the strongest men I ever knew. You can overcome this. You can get well. I know you can." Tears leaked out of my eyes and down my cheek as I watched him shake his head.

"I.. no…longer have…the ..energy. No..matter what…I…will..always be….right here." His shaking fingers pointed to my chest. "I love you, Carlos." I tried to keep my tears at a minimum for Vanessa.

"I… love you …too, son. Take… care… of… my daughter." I nodded my head and stepped back, letting Gabriella say her goodbye's. I took Vanessa from her and sat down. Hugging her close to me, I waited patiently for Gabriella to finish up before bringing Vanessa over to him.

"Daddy." Vanessa held her arms out to him. She remembers him. Hair or no hair, she remembers her best friend. I set her down right next to Carlos on the bed. "There's….my girl."

"Yous come home?" That broke my heart. I had to sit down. I motioned for Gabriella to come and make sure Vanessa didn't fall off the bed so I could sit down. My head went into my hands as I tried my best to listen to what Carlos was saying.

"Remember… when you… were… sick and then… you… got better… the next day, Van?" I bit my lip to keep myself from crying.

"Icky pink stuffs." I tried to smile as I heard the word Vanessa referred to her medicine as.

"Yea…that… made you…all better. Daddy's… not getting better. I'm going… to that nice place up… in the sky." Looking up, I watched as Gabriella tried to control the tears that were now flowing freely down her face. Getting up, I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her waist. My head rested on the back of her neck.

"Dada no buh bies." I heard Vanessa mumble. "You.. be good for..Daddy and Mommy. Ok? I..love you..so much Vanny." My arms squeezed tighter around Gabi's mid section. "I yove you. Daddy." I looked up to see Carlos hugging Van.

He looked up at me. "Get...her...out of…here." He struggled to catch his breath. Gabriella picked Vanessa up and started walking out the door.

"Bye Daddy." I heard Vanessa cry. My feet were frozen. I couldn't feel my body. He looked at me and smiled.

'_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep'_

My breath hitched as I watched doctors and nurses come into the room and shut the monitors off. "I am so sorry for your loss." I faintly heard someone say. Unable to say anything else, I walked out of the room. I couldn't feel my legs or any other part of my body as I walked with Gabriella to the car. I fumbled with the keys, trying to open the car door. I felt them disappear from my hand as I was lead to the other side of the car. Before Gabriella put Vanessa into her car seat, she took my hand, and put my index finger through one of the belt loops in her jeans, probably scared that I would run away.

"Go sit with her. You are in no shape to drive." I faintly heard Gabriella as I climbed into the back seat. I wiped Vanessa's tears before I stared out the window. My head was spinning. I was in a daze. My head and my heart hurt. It took me a while to realize why we were at our friend's house. I hardly noticed that I was walking behind Gabriella and Vanessa up to the house. "I texted them while I was waiting for you at the hospital. They know about him, but aren't going to bring it up." I think I nodded, but I wasn't too sure. I wasn't sure of anything at the moment. Before I knew it, we were in the house, giving our friends hugs, or being hugged by them in my case. They all had sad looks on their faces.

"We just took the burgers off the grill about thirty minutes ago, but you probably aren't hungry. We ate already not knowing if you were up to coming or not." I numbly shook my head.

"Maybe we will have something later. Do you mind if I go out on the hammock? I want to try to get her to take a nap." I faintly heard Gabriella say. I saw Sharpay and Taylor follow her.

"We were just going to play some x-box. Do you want to come?" Zeke came into my line of vision. Ever so slightly, I shook my head.

"Alright, well, if you do, come downstairs. Make yourself at home." I nodded. My body carried itself to the back of the house. I was in a daze when I found myself on the porch. The girls' backs were to me as they lay on the hammock. Sitting down on the patio chairs, I noticed about six bottles of beer left unopened on the table. I stared at them for a minute before I grabbed one and popped the cap off. I took a swig of it, letting the liquid burn my throat. Little did I know this simple decision would be the worst I ever made.

**I'm so sorry it took so long. I have been studying for finals. My last one is on Tuesday, so hopefully I will have more time to update quicker. If you have anything you want to see in the next chapter please tell me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **


	35. Chapter 35

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Gabriella's Pov:**

I couldn't help the tears that were falling freely as I watched Vanessa sleeping quietly in my arms. The girls and I were using our legs to gently swing the hammock back and forth.

Troy and I were now the parents of Vanessa. That scared me. Just out of college and ready to start our careers and new parents to a two year old. I wasn't sure if I was ready for this. People always say give a child love and that's all they will ever need. For me though, there's more to it. It's not just about loving them. I love Vanessa unconditionally, as if she was my own, but I also think it is about the choices you make. It's Troy's and my job to make sure we make the right decision. No longer did we have Carlos make those decisions – and that scared me.

"It's getting cold. I think I'm going inside." I looked up at Taylor before smiling and nodding my head. The sudden movement of Taylor getting up caused Vanessa to shift on my chest. I silently prayed that she didn't wake up. I softly rubbed her back until I heard those soft even breaths again. I just couldn't take her asking where daddy is. It broke my heart to try to explain to her that he is not coming back.

Looking over at Sharpay, I found her trying not to fall asleep. "Why don't we head inside? I think I've had more than I can take today." As carefully as I could, I stood up with Vanessa in my arms. Her eyes fluttered open and I could feel my heart stop for a moment.

She looked up at me with big innocent eyes. Her lip quivered and her eyes glassed over. "Daddy?" She asked me. My hand flew to her head as I held her against my shoulder.

"I'm sorry baby. He's not here. Remember what we talked about? How he was going someplace?" I didn't know the best place to tell her exactly where he went.

"When coming back?" Tears leaked from my eyes as I looked to Sharpay for support.

"Sweetie, he is someplace in the sky. He is always looking down on you though. He loved you so much." Sharpay spoke softly to her as we walked towards the house. I don't know whether it was the fact that she didn't understand Sharpay's answer or the fact that she had gotten a similar answer to her question every time she asked because it looked to me like she gave up. Vanessa lay limply on my shoulder as we continued up the steps of the porch.

I froze in my tracks, as I had to step over an empty bottle of beer once I was on the porch. Following the trail to the table, I found Troy leaning back on his chair with what I assumed to be his sixth bottle of beer. How could he do this?

"Troy Alexander Bolton what do you think you're doing?" I didn't yell because of Vanessa, but the tone of my voice wasn't very nice either. I was furious with him that he would do this. I took the bottle out of his hands, letting it drop to the floor. The liquid spilled out, seeping through the cracks of the porch.

"Heeeeeeyy." Troy slurred in an angry tone. I watched him have trouble scrambling to his feet. He held onto the table for support.

"Dada no yell." Vanessa held her arms out to him, but I handed her off to Sharpay. There was no way I was going to let Troy hold her.

"I can yell all the hell I want." I had no respect for him at this moment. It's one thing to drink when Vanessa was sleeping, but I never thought he would stoop this low and yell at her. Drunk or not, it was a mistake. After everything that happened today this is probably the worst thing he could do.

"Take her inside and keep her in the guest room. She doesn't need to see him like this." I looked at the floor as I talked to Sharpay. I could only imagine how Vanessa was taking this. The one she looks up to has let her down. I waited until they left before I looked up at Troy. He was holding his head with one hand and using the table for support with the other.

"What did you do to yourself?" I whispered to myself. "Ughn I don't feeeeel so good." He moaned causing me to feel the tiniest bit of empathy for him. "I bet you don't." I said as I put my hand on his shoulders, leading him inside. He stumbled countless times just getting to the stairs. Getting him up the stairs was another story. My hands flew to his lower back as I pushed him up the stairs.

As I got closer and closer to the top, I could hear Vanessa crying for us. It broke my heart to hear her yelling for us. It broke my heart even more that Troy would pull something like this, though. I'm sure Sharpay was handling the situation as best she could.

Trying to ignore her screams, I brought Troy into what used to be our room and closed the door. I watched silently as Troy immediately crashed on the bed face down.

"Can I just ask you what the hell were you thinking? You getting drunk is apparently not good enough so you have to yell at your daughter too, who has done nothing by the way." I kept my voice loud so he would hear me even though I walked into the bathroom.

Going into the cabinet under the sink, I found a washcloth. I could hear him moan into the sheets as I ran the washcloth under the cold water before ringing it out. After taking a deep breath, I walked back into the bedroom.

"Sit up." I told him as I pulled his arm to help him up. His head rest in his hands as he omitted small groans. "Caaan I have some tylonal." He slurred. I put the cool rag on the back of his neck before answering.

"No." I sighed as I sat on the bed far away from him, by the pillow. After what he did, I'm having a hard time being next to him, let alone in the same room as him.

"Do you understaaand hoow bad my head it hurting? Whaat's wrong with youuu?" My lip became white from biting it. There was more to come, I was sure of it.

"You're just going to throw it up in few minutes anyway." My sympathy disappeared. I no longer felt sorry for my wasted boyfriend in front of me. No longer did I feel sorry for him that he felt horrible. He had it coming to him. He chose to drink his problems away. He chose this path all on his own. And now he should face the consequences.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the bedroom door open slowly. A few seconds later, I saw a foot, then an arm, and finally a head. I smirked when I saw Vanessa. She looked out of breath as she hurried inside and closed the door, leaning against it. It was obvious that she had just finished her crying fit. There were tears still visible in her eyes. Her cheeks sported a flushed look, causing me to become worried.

"She coming. No want to go big bed." She made all problems disappear. All thoughts were forgotten. That was until she ran to Troy.

"Dada stay wif you?" I leaped off the bed, but I wasn't quick enough.

"Leave meee alllone. God! Does everyone haaaave to fucking yell in this house?" Vanessa had stopped pulling on his sleeve to get his attention. She looked up at me, her lip quivering. I watched in disgust as Troy got off the bed and headed towards the bathroom. It closed behind him not too long after.

Bending down, I picked my shaken daughter up. "It's ok baby girl. You did nothing wrong, ok?" Rubbing her back, I attempted to calm her down, before she started crying. I tear rolled down my face as she clung to me, like I was the only one she could depend on now. Everyone else left.

"Oh thank goodness. There you are." Sharpay walked in the room with Vanessa's pajamas in hand.

"What happened?" Sharpay asked once she saw me.

"He went ahead and yelled at her again." Holding Vanessa closer to me, I sat on the bed. Hearing Troy throw up in the background caused me to wince. I only hoped that even in his drunken state, he still had good aim. The last thing I want to do tonight is clean up his mess.

"Do you want me to take her so you can deal with stupid?" Sharpay nodded her head in the direction of the bathroom. Vanessa chose this moment to grip onto me tighter.

"Mama no go." She dug her face into my neck.

"It's ok, I got her. When he comes out, I'll change her and sleep in the bedroom across the hall with her. There is no way I am sleeping with him tonight." I took the pajamas Sharpay was handing me and shifted Vanessa to my hip. With one last smile, I watched as Sharpay walked out of the room.

"Dada's not feeling too well, Vanny. He didn't mean to yell at you." I kissed her temple as she twirled a strand of my hair around her tiny finger. I turned around when I heard the toilet flush, bracing myself for what was about to come. Vanessa dug her head into my neck as the doorknob of the bathroom jiggled. Her hands gripped onto my t-shirt as the door swung open.

Out stumbled this man whom I had no desire of knowing. I didn't know this drunken man. I didn't know this man who yells at his daughter. I only know Troy, the one who always has it together and never yells. I wanted him back.

"Myyy head is killing meee. Isn't thereee any advil ooor something?" I watched tearfully as he collapsed on the bed, falling asleep in a matter of minutes. Detaching Vanessa from my shirt, I set her down on the floor. She whimpered as she reached up to me. Instead, I walked over to Troy and removed his shoes. After placing his shoes on the floor, I pulled the covers down, rolling him over on his side before pulling the blanket back up.

"Thalanks." I barely heard his drunken slur. "Yea, ok. We'll see what you remember tomorrow and who you hurt. Yell if you need something." I couldn't help but run my hands through his hair before leaving. I may not love the choices he makes, but deep down, I know he's hurting too. We all are. He was too past out to acknowledge what I had said.

"Come on, baby girl." I said to Vanessa as I bent down and picked her up. I took one last look at him before exiting the room. Taylor and Sharpay were the first ones to meet us as we walked into the hallway.

"Sorry. We weren't planning on sleeping here tonight." The plan was to have a nice barbeque, hang out, and go back to Carlos' house. Troy chose to alter our plans though.

"Don't worry about it. We love having you guys stay over. Are you ok though?" I nodded my head at Taylor. She always was the one who knew what was wrong. "It's just weird seeing him this, you know?" I was engulfed in a hug before returning the spare bedroom.

Laying Vanessa on the bed, I began changing her into her princess footie pajamas. "Can mommy give you some dinner?" It broke my heart to see her go without dinner. I felt like I was starving her. "No hungee. Tummy sad." I gave her a sad smile and nodded before giving her Mr. Snuggles.

Placing hr under the covers, I laid right next to her on top of the covers. My body didn't have the energy to change out of my cotton dress. I cuddled her body close to mine before kissing her goodnight. She was asleep in about five minutes. Sighing, I closed my eyes and drifted into a light sleep.

I soon became restless. My body sweating, as if I were 100 degrees. My breaths no longer were calm and even, but now ridged and heavy. My body jolted awake as I sat up. Was it all a nightmare? I dreamt that Troy had gotten drunk and worst of all, Carlos had died. Troy wouldn't do that though. It must have all been a dream. Vanessa was still sleeping peacefully next to me. Nothing seemed wrong with her.

As quietly as I could, I got out of the bed. The movement, stirred Vanessa awake, which now I regretted getting up. "Mama no weave." I tried to calm my shaking hands as I picked her up and rested her tiny form on my hip. While doing so, my eyes fell to the clock on the night table. How long was I out for? The worst part, was that I didn't remember going to sleep. I tiptoed out of my room. Where would Troy be? I started checking all of the rooms, but each one was empty. My heart raced as I became more nervous by the minute. What was happening to me?

"Daddy go in sky." Vanessa exclaimed sadly. My breath hitched in my throat.

"What did you say?" I looked down at her, my eyes becoming wide.

"Daddy go in sky. Him loves me." Tears began poring down my face. I had a hard time catching my breath.

Walking turned into running as I came to the only door that was shut closed. It was the only bedroom that I had yet to open. The wooden door creaked as I turned the brass knob and opened it.

"Mean Dada." Vanessa yelled as we walked into the room. There he was. His limp body lay snoring on the bed. The memories of last night came flooding back to me. The bottles of beer, drunken words, yelling, Carlos. Everything. I couldn't control myself anymore.

Letting out a big sob, I shrunk to the floor with Vanessa. "Mama ok? No be sad. Daddy yovs yous." I had to get out of this suffocating room. My body started shaking as I walked down the hallway.

My friends were all in the living room watching TV. I stood by the hallway balcony, waiting for the person I wanted to look up. I didn't want to be the center of attention. I didn't want people to fawn over me and ask what was wrong. I wanted the one friend who didn't ask questions.

I paced back and forth, hoping a moving object would get the attention I wanted- it always did. I motioned with my head for my friend to come upstairs, which thankfully they understood. I waited patiently by my bedroom door so no one else would see me, waiting for him to come up.

My back rested against the wall, my feet un-sturdy. The last thing I wanted to do was drop, my daughter. "Meet me in my room." He said as he took Vanessa from me. I was glad when she made no attempt to protest. I didn't know where he was taking her, but I wasn't worried. I knew she would be safe.

Somehow my legs managed to carry me to his bedroom. My tears blinded me as I entered the room. Taking some tissues, I tried to stop the overflowing tears. My body collapsed onto the floor, my legs no longer able to hold my weight. I faintly heard the bedroom door close and lock through all my sobs.

"You couldn't make it two more feet so you feel on the bed?" I tried to smile at him as he carried me to the bed. He always knew how to put a smile on my face. No other words were spoken as he lay with me on his bed. That was one of the things I appreciated about him.

The events of today hit me like a rock. It finally hit me that I would never see Carlos again. Vanessa became an orphan. And Troy, the one who usually has everything together fell apart when I needed him the most. I just couldn't take it anymore.

For now though, I am able to get my anger out. I am able to cry the tears I have been waiting to cry since I found Troy with those empty bottles. I finally found some comfort and if by some miracle, Troy was up to apologizing then I would be here. In the arms of Chad.

**Sorry it took so long. You know the drill Read and Review. If you have something you want me to put in the next chapter, leave a suggestion. Hope you enjoyed it!  
**


	36. Chapter 36

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Gabriella's Pov:**

Last night I had only gotten four hours of sleep at most. There had been countless times where Chad had woken me up from a bad dream. And if I finally got the pleasure of falling asleep, it wasn't long until I woke up again.

My emotions were on a roller coaster. I didn't know whether to be scared about how Troy was going to act today, mad at him for what he did yesterday, or worried that Vanessa wasn't going to forgive him. I blinked frivolously, trying to adjust my eyes to the light streaming through Chad's bedroom window. My eyes glanced at the clock on his nightstand. Six-thirty. Damn.

"He's not going to surprise you and make an entrance. The door is locked. Though if he is in the same state as he was last night, I wouldn't be surprised if he walked into it and it fell down." I gave Chad a weak smile and ran my fingers through my tangled hair that was matted to my face.

"I'm just worried about Vanessa. She's going to be asking for me as soon as she wakes up." I sat up and readjusted my dress. My hand rubbed the side of my face, while the other was linked to Chad's for support.

"Taylor has her. She also has a key to get into the room." He thought of everything. "Thanks for everything Chad. I'm sorry I kept you up so many hours last night. I guess I have to face the music sometime." I stated as I pealed the covers away from my tired body and got out of bed.

"You don't have to do it alone. You don't even have to do it right now. We can stay here as long as you want." Shaking my head in disagreement, I looked at him, only to find him getting out of bed. This is why I wanted him and not anyone else. Sure he had that crazy side of him, but what most people don't know, is that he has this whole other side to him. The side that reminds me of Troy. "I can't hide forever, you know. I'm not that type of person." I tell him as he unlocks and opens the door.

I walk out into a still dark hallway with him. "Everyone must still be sleeping." He says as I follow him to the guest room.

My mouth curled into a smile as I watched the sight before me. Our friends were sleeping every which way on the bed, Vanessa was sitting up, awake, in the middle of them sucking her thumb.

"Good morning baby girl." I whispered as I picked her up. Her hand moved from her mouth to my dress as she gripped onto it. Her head lay on my shoulder as I kissed her forehead.

"What would you like for breakfast?" I asked her as soon as I walked out of the room.

"No hungee." I heard her whisper. It broke my heart to see her like this. Not only was she not eating, but she was moping around.

"You are too small to be missing dinner and breakfast. How about some eggs?" I watched silently as she shrugged her shoulders. "I'll go and make breakfast, you check on Troy." After giving him a grateful smile, I walked to Troy's room.

"No go." Vanessa let out a whimper as I entered the room. Patting her back, I walked further into the room. I should have checked on him in the middle of the night. If you're in a drunken state, you shouldn't lay face down amongst the blanket and pillows. He could have suffocated for all I know.

His chest heaved up and down, signifying that he had not, but still, it was wrong of me to leave him unattended. Walking over to the window, I pulled the blinds up, letting the sun soak through the room. I heard him groan and watched as he pulled a pillow over his head in attempts to shield himself from the suns rays.

"Get up." I said emotionless. He made no effort to lift his hung-over body off the bed. Vanessa wiggled as I took a seat on the edge of his bed. "Now, Troy." I said as I pulled the covers back. Somehow he managed to get his shirt off during the night.

"Can you tell me why I feel like I've been hit by a truck, or why my daughter won't let me go near her?" I watched him hold his head as he turned on his back. Vanessa hid her face in my shirt as soon as they made eye contact.

"When did you see her?" I stood up and walked over to the bathroom. Setting Vanessa on the bathroom counter, I looked through the cabinet to retrieve some Advil. After taking out two small red pills and filling a cup up with water, I picked Vanessa back up and returned to the room.

"Here." I said as I handed him the pills and water, which he took without question. "I woke up about a half hour ago feeling horrible. I wanted to see where everyone was. I looked in the first open door to find everyone sleeping, but Vanessa up. I went to take her, but she put up a fit and started calling me mean dada. I didn't see you or Chad there, but I was so upset, I just went back to my room." I bit my lip as he explained.

He no longer needed to make that apology to me. I understood it now. It wasn't just upset about Carlos, he was upset that it was another parent to him. He couldn't have talked about it with me, because I wouldn't have understood. It didn't affect me in the same way it affected him. I still had a mother. I still had everything, except a person who I have met only months recently.

I looked up to see Troy stare at me, waiting for me to respond. "I was uh sleeping in a different room." It now seemed like a lame excuse. Last night it felt as if my world was coming crashing down, now it feels like I had no business acting the way I did.

"With Chad?" His voice was low, almost a whisper. Those simple two words stung me worse than I had ever imagined. It felt like a knife went through my heart. I looked up, expecting to meet his eyes, but instead it felt like I was met with someone else's. His once baby blue eyes now sported a grey look. I bit my bottom lip and nodded my head slowly.

"It's not what you think." I tried my best to explain, but once again, it looked like I was the guilty one. I watched him as he ran his finger through his hair stopping at his scalp to rub his pounding head.

"What happened?" I heard him whisper. I found myself wondering what he meant by that. I wasn't sure if he was talking about last night, with me and Chad, or if he was talking to himself.

**Troy's Pov:**

My head pounded as I tried my best to make conversation with Gabriella. "I could show you better than I could tell you." I gave her a questioning look as I watched both my girls stand up. I desperately wanted to hold my daughter in my arms. I wanted a lot of things right now. I wanted my girlfriend back. I wanted Carlos. I wanted all the unanswered questions answered.

It felt like all the blood in my body rushed to my head as I stood up. It hurt even more as I followed her out of my room and down the steps. Vanessa didn't look back at me once.

As we entered the kitchen, I found Chad. It was hard for me to look at him. What kind of best friend sleeps with his best friend's girlfriend? He made no attempt to look at me either, which if he did, I probably would have tackled him.

"Whenever you're ready Gab." My fists clenched my pant leg as I watched Gabriella walk over to Chad and give him a hug.

"Thanks Chad. Well be right back." When they broke apart, I followed Gabriella out back. There were bottles of beer scattered all over the floor. I gently kicked one and watched as I rolled a few feet in front of me.

"Mean Dada." My jaw clenched together as Vanessa said these words for a third time today.

"Why are there bottles everywhere?" I asked as I tried to count how many. "You were thirsty last night." My eyes widened. A lump formed in my throat making it hard to swallow. Tears glazed over my eyes and my world spun. I had no recollection of last night.

"What did I do to Vanessa to make her hate me?" I was dreading the answer. How could I act so irresponsible, especially when I am responsible for another human being? What was I thinking? "Yelling and cursing at her." Her back was to me as she peered over the porch railing.

Walking over to her, I stood next her, Vanessa trying to get down as I smiled at her. "Can I have some time alone with her?" I hesitantly asked her.

"No.." I nodded my head and began to walk inside. I wasn't mad at her for saying no, I was mad at myself for screwing up. "You didn't let me finish." I paused before opening the screen door. "She needs to eat first. She didn't eat dinner last night.

After, she's all yours." I turned around and smiled at her. "I am sorry, Brie." I couldn't help but feel some sort of relief when she walked towards me. I tried my best to ignore Vanessa whimpering as I held Gabriella in my arms.

"You have no reason to apologize. Yea, it was a mistake to drink, and as a result of that there were drunken actions, but you're going through something that I have no experience in. I couldn't even imagine how you are feeling." I leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead.

"So I take it, you're not planning on dumping me for Chad?" I hesitantly asked. She looked up at me with a questioning look and I couldn't help but feel worried. What if she didn't forgive me for my stupid actions? I don't think I can take her leaving me for one of my best friends.

"What makes you think I would dump you for Chad?" I chuckled nervously, and rubbed the back of my neck. I watched as Gabriella opened the screen door and set Vanessa down. "Go find Chad." I heard Gabriella say to Vanessa.

Gabriella closed the screen door despite the fact the Vanessa hadn't moved from her spot. I watched as Vanessa turned around and leaned against the screen door. Her tiny arm raised in Gabriella's direction, wanting to be back in her mother's arms.

"Troy, let's just say you weren't the only one the completely lost it last night." Her words stabbed me like a knife. She needed me and I wasn't there for her. We both needed each other, and because I was irresponsible and drunk, she had to turn to Chad.

I opened my arms, hoping my girl would return to them. Gabriella didn't hesitate to close the gap between us. "I promise, that will never happen again." I held her tightly to my body due to the fact that if I didn't, I thought she would slip away. Placing a kiss in her curls, she looked up at me and smiled.

Gabriella stood up on her tippy toes and places a kiss on my lips. That's when I knew, between me and her, everything would be fine. "Pppffffttttt." I looked up at Vanessa, surprised by the noise, only to see her blowing raspberries at me.

"Hey missy, put that tongue back in." I kneeled down right in front of her, causing her to screech and run away. Omitting a long sigh, I stood up. "She'll come around. After lunch, take her out by the hammock and talk to her. She's going to cry, but she'll forgive you. She loves you, Troy." I nodded my head sadly, and opened the screen door.

After letting Gabriella enter the house before I did, I placed my hands on her shoulder and walked into the kitchen. The smell of eggs and toast swarmed around my head. Vanessa sat happily on Chad's hip as he set the table. However, as soon as she saw me, she hid her face. I took a seat far away from her booster seat. From behind, Gabriella wove her arms around my neck and placed a kiss on my cheek.

"Don't let her think she's in charge, Troy. She's two. Everything scares her. She cried last week when the toast popped out of the toaster and still won't go near it." I stood up and laughed.

"Like mother like daughter." I heard her gasp and hit my lightly on my arm. "Hey I still go near it, don't I?" Smiling, I nodded my head and changed my seat. There was a seat on each side of Vanessa, which holding my breath, I sat down in one of them. I watched her try to get out of the booster seat.

"Mama!" Vanessa came over and kissed her cheek. "It's just Daddy. You're ok." I watched as Vanessa gripped onto Gabriella's shirt. "Hims will yell at me." Despite her head being burying in Gabriella's chest, I still heard. The hole in my heart was getting deeper and deeper. I looked down at my empty plate.

"Vanessa, a big scary monster took over Daddy's body last night and made him mean. But guess what?" I bit my tongue and waited patently for Gabriella to give Vanessa the answer. "Wut Mommy?" Her voice was so innocent. "Daddy fought the monster and scared him away. He's nice again." I couldn't help but smile to myself at Gabriella's explanation.

Lifting my head up, I was able to catch her winking at me before detaching Vanessa's tiny hands from her shirt. She gave her one last kiss on the cheek before walking over to help Chad put the bowls of food on the table. "Mama mow pwease." Vanessa held out her cup when Gabriella set the bowl of eggs on the table.

"I'll get it." I said while standing up. As soon as I had my cup in my hand, she retracted her hands quickly. At least I didn't get a screaming fit from her this time. Walking over to the refrigerator, I looked at Chad.

"What was she drinking?" I asked him quietly. After getting ignored for a few seconds, he turned to me. "Beer." I felt ashamed. My fists balled when I heard his words flow through my ears.

"Unnecessary, Chad. I forgave him. It's over and done with." Setting Vanessa's sippy cup on the counter, I took out a glass for myself and Gabi and filled them with water. We weren't coffee people.

"Oh that's bull Gabsy. He didn't see you last night the way I did. Did you tell him how you couldn't even form sentences? Or how you collapsed on the floor crying? Or that because of him, you had to hand your daughter off to Taylor?" My jaw clenched. I knew there was something she wasn't telling me.

"Enough. You don't understand what he's going through. He was lost more than you have even lost. You don't understand. Try loosing both your parents at the same time and a couple years later, when you finally found some family where you feel like you belong, you loose it in an instant." I could hear Gabi's voice break. The only thing I wanted to do was hold her in my arms.

For once, she had made Chad speechless. She had made Chad see things her way – my way. "Hot chocolate." He mumbled under his breath. He made no attempt to make eye contact with me.

Looking back at Vanessa, I saw her chew on her plastic fork. Finding the hot chocolate maker on the counter top, I re-filled her cup and returned back to the table. Before giving it to her, I made sure it wasn't too hot.

Taking the bowl of eggs, I put a good amount of Vanessa's plate and then some on mine. Without another word spoken between the two, they took a seat at the table with us. Passing the bowl to Vanessa, I gave her a weak smile. Breakfast went by in a silent blur. No words were spoken other than the whines Gabriella would receive when she tried to wipe Vanessa's mouth.

"I full." Vanessa said as she rubbed her eye with her fist. She probably didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Gabriella and I watched as Chad stood up, taking his plate with him, and washed it off before putting it in the dishwasher. After cleaning up his plates, he walked out of the room.

"Do you want me to change her or put shoes on her before you take her?" She asked me. I shook my head in disagreement.

"If she tries to kick me, it's just going to hurt that much more." She chuckled and nodded.

"I'll clean up. Leave your plate there." She said when I stood up, plate in hand. Picking Vanessa up, she let out a whimper for Gabriella. I held my breath and waited for her to start screaming.

"Remember what mommy said? The monster is gone. After I clean up, I'll meet you out there." That last part was directed to me. Before leaving, I placed a kiss on her lips. I would have to clean up the bottles on the porch some time today, I noticed as I walked passed them.

Setting Vanessa on the grass, I watched as she ran to the hammock. "Ughh I stuck!" I laughed quietly when I saw her having trouble climbing onto the hammock. "Ok Ness we need to talk." I said while lying down with her. Swinging us gently back and forth, I watched as she crawled on the big hammock. She was still in arms length just incase she lost her footing.

"I was sad about your daddy, so this big scary monster took over. Come here, Vanny." Picking her up, I placed her on my chest. She gave a tiny whimper, but soon calmed down when with I rubbed her back.

"I am so sorry, Vanny." Hugging her tightly to my chest, I kissed the top of her head. "Monster gone?" Her innocent eyes looked up at me for the first time today.

"Yes. And he's never coming back. I promise." Her small arms pushed against my chest. Holding herself up, she placed a wet kiss on my cheek and then dropped back down to my chest. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gabriella walking over to us. I gave her a smile, signifying that everything is alright.

"Well, at least some of the most important people in my life forgive me." I said quietly. I still had to find a way to win my friends back. "Troy, they're your friends. We all do stupid things sometimes, but they'll forgive you. You just have to give them some time." I nodded my head and wrapped an arm around Gabriella. It's just nice to have both my girls back in my arms.

"We also need to get outfits for the funeral, organize it, buy food so if people want to come back to the house afterwards, they can." I shook my head in disagreement. "There is no way I'm letting Vanessa go. She is too young to see that." I looked down, only to find Vanessa sleeping soundly.

"Troy, you can't keep her from going to her fathers funeral." A slight breeze swept across us, making us shiver. "I'll take her to the funeral, but I refuse to take her to the wake. I can't let her see her father like that. Carlos would agree too." I watched as Gabriella pulled out her phone from my pants pocket. I was always carrying her things when she was wearing a dress with no pockets, or was too lazy to bring a purse. I didn't mind, though.

"Who are you calling?" I asked her as I tried to see which number she was searching for.

"No one, I'm looking to see if I have the school in my contacts. If not I will have to look in the paper again. Maybe I can get Zac's parents number from her. I'm sure she would like a play date while we go to the wake together." Using my thumb and index finger, I placed a light kiss on her lips. Things were going to be ok from now on. I just knew it.

"Why don't we go home?" I carefully stood up, not wanting to wake Vanessa. Holding out my hand, I helped Gabriella up. "Home sounds good to me."

**You know the drill. Tell me what you think. Review and leave suggestions. I hope you liked this chapter!**


	37. Chapter 37

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov:**

My breath caught in my throat, making it hard to swallow as I entered the house. Tears filled my eyes as I inhaled deeply. It smelled of him. His coat and hat were hung up on the coat rack waiting for him to take them with him on his way to work. His work shoes were situated on a mat in the foyer.

Martin met us at the front door. He held the same somber look Gabriella and I had been sporting for the last two days. His eyes showed lack of sleep and unlike the usual suit and tie he sported, his dress was now casual. His clothes consisted of a dark wash jean pants with a light blue polo shirt. His eyes red from lack of sleep, no doubt.

As I sat Vanessa on her feet, she lingered by us. One of her hands gripped to my pant leg while the other to Gabriella's dress. Shadow nuzzled into my leg as Martin and I locked eyes.

"Hello Mr. Bolton, Ms. Montez. Please sit down." Martin was so formal all of a sudden. Gabriella and I looked at each other before we started to walk over to the couch with Martin.

"Mamaaa! Upp!" We turned around to see Vanessa rubbing her eye with one and while reaching out to Gabi with the other. Her small mouth quivering as she whined. I watched as Gabriella settled Vanessa on her lap as we sat on the couch. The events of today plus the overtiredness didn't help Vanessa.

"I got a call from the hospital last night asking where we wanted to body to be delivered to." I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and hung my head in shame. Martin didn't deserve to find out like that. He deserved us to be here with him as a family.

"I apologize for not coming home last night. We previously had a date for a barbeque with our friends. We didn't mean to crash there." I tried to explain to him. He didn't need to know about what happened to me last night. I was too embarrassed.

I turned my attention to Vanessa who was reaching out to me. Giving her my hand to play with, I got a shock I wasn't expecting. Her little fist gripped around my index finger and then proceeded to chew on it. I looked at Vanessa with a questioning look. Maybe she's teething. Don't they get their two-year old molars around this time?

"Van open up." She looked up at me and continued to chew on my finger. "Ahhh" I tried again and worked on looking and feeling around for the culprit when she mimicked me. Sure enough I found the milk white tiny piece of a tooth, poking its way through her enflamed gums. "Here you take her and I'll go see if there's a teething ring or something in the refrigerator." Gabriella said as she placed Vanessa in my arms.

"That's the excuse, now what's the truth?" Martin waited for Gabriella to exit the room before he began talking to me. "What are you talking about?" I leaned back on the couch and rested my feet on the coffee table.

"You used the barbeque as an excuse to not come back. What's the real reason?" I took a deep breath before exhaling and setting Vanessa on the floor. My feet took me to the playroom where I started cleaning up the room; putting toys in their rightful box. Vanessa tugged at my pant leg whimpering and trying to climb in my lap.

"Vanny go find Mommy." She stuck her lip out to me – no doubt she got from Gabriella. Gabriella had a soft spot for Vanessa when it comes down to getting her way. Especially trying to have me give in to her. Placing her on her feet, I watched as she toddled out of the room.

Standing up, I faced Martin. "I guess I just wanted to get away from here. Everything about this place reminds me of him. I don't think I could have held it together for Vanessa and Gabriella." I looked down; the floor suddenly became more interesting.

"Troy, I'm not mad that you didn't tell me. I want to help you through this." I surveyed his clothes one more time before it clicked. "How can you help me when you're going through the same thing? You have known him for far longer than I have." I tossed the last toy in the bucket. Carlos did have a maid, but I had told her not to clean this room. It isn't a maid's job to follow you around and pick up after you.

"My point is we can go through this together." I smiled at him and walked back to the living room.

"There weren't any teething rings." Gabriella said as she came back into the room. She pulled out a cherry ice-pop and handed it to Vanessa. "Oh mommy tank you!" Before returning to the couch, she threw out the wrapper. This was going to be a fun mess to clean up. I thought as I watched Vanessa's face soon turn red. Every so often the ice pop would drip either on her shirt or down her arm.

"We need to get everything together for the funeral." I said as I tried to wipe Vanessa's face. "Dada noooooo." Vanessa complained.

"Everything has already been arranged. The flowers, people were called, there is a suit waiting for you on your bed, and I picked out two outfits for Vanessa. Gabriella, your mother will be coming over in a little while with an outfit for you." I was speechless. I didn't know the words to give or how to show my appreciation.

"Everything is done?" I couldn't believe he had done all of it. He even thought of the outfits, which amazed me. In a way, Martin was filling Carlos' shoes. Martin nodded and smiled before pulling Vanessa into his lap.

"The wake will be tomorrow followed by the funeral the next day." I looked at Gabriella for a brief moment before turning my attention back to Martin. "We think its best not to have Vanessa at the wake. We were going to drop her off at a friends house." I explained to him while putting my arm around Gabriella. She leaned against my chest, her head dropping to my shoulder.

"I completely agree with you. It's inappropriate to have her see him like that." I nodded my head. My head gently leaned on top of Gabi's. The strawberry smell coming from her hair calmed me. Martin set Vanessa on the floor and took the finished Popsicle stick from her hand before standing up to go answer the phone.

"We should probably bathe her before your mother gets here." Gabriella nodded and began to stand up, stretching as she did so. "Tired, Baby?" I asked her as I went to pick Vanessa up. "Completely exhausted and it's not even noon yet." She exclaimed as we walked up the stairs together. She looked drained and I'm sure she only got a few ours of sleep at most last night. I unlocked the safety gate at the top of the stairs and let Gabriella in before closing it again.

"Well maybe if Grandma Montez wants to watch Vanessa, we can sneak away and get a nap in. I can use some us time." I softly told her as I linked hands with her. Gabriella stopped dead. I looked back at her in a questioning manor.

"I completely forgot about that part. What is she going to say when she hears Van call me mommy? How are we even going to introduce her as?" I watched her focus her attention of Vanessa who was sucking her cherry covered hand. "Everything is going to fall into place, I promise, Pretty Girl." I kissed her forehead before walking into the bathroom.

Gabriella sat next to me on the floor as we started the water before undressing Vanessa. "Do you think any of the ice-pop made it into her mouth?" I chucked cause Vanessa to smile up at me.

"Pop in my tummy." Vanessa said as she pointed to her stomach. I tickled it gently causing the room to fill with giggles. "I think I heard the doorbell. I'll finish up here so you can spend some time alone with you mom." I told her. "Thanks Wildcat." She kissed my cheek before standing up.

"No go. Mama take baff wif me. No Dada!" Vanessa latched onto Gabriella's leg. I gave her an apologetic look. I know how much she wanted to see her mother. Sure they talk on the phone all the time, but she hasn't seen her in a long time.

I kissed both my girls and left the room. "I'll bring her clothes in." I said before rounding the corner.

**Gabriella's Pov: **

I gently lifted Vanessa into the bath tub and grabbed the washcloth off the counter. I wasn't scared having my mother react to Vanessa, I was more nervous. Very nervous.

"Babe." I turned around and took the clothes Troy was handing me." It was a forest green Juicy sweat suit with a white cotton short sleeve shirt to go underneath. After giving him a soft thank you, I went back to trying to get all the red off Vanessa.

"You're going to meet my mommy." Vanessa looked up for a brief moment from playing with her rubber duck before returning to what she was doing.

"No meet nother mommy. Yous my mommy." Vanessa pouted. Something tells me she doesn't understand.

After laying a blue bath towel on the floor, I then drained the tub. Lifting her out of the tub, I gently laid her on the towel and covered her up. I dressed her quickly so she wouldn't get cold. Settling her into my arms, I placed the towel into the hamper.

"Mommy." Vanessa whined as she rubbed her eyes with her fists. "What, Sweetheart?" I kissed her forehead, my lips lingering there for a few extra seconds. She felt warm to me. As I walked into the hall towards Troy's room, I could hear that voice I grew up with- my mother's. I wanted to join them downstairs, but I had other priorities. My daughter comes first before fun, always.

Grabbing the ear thermometer off Troy's dresser, I proceeded to take her temperature. She had a low-grade fever. It was nothing to worry about, though. I looked at Troy's bed; almost as if it were calling my name, beckoning me to lay down.

"Vanny, you want to lie down for a few minutes before we go downstairs?" I asked her as I climbed into bed with her. My head laid on his scent covered pillow.

"No go down da stairs. No see new mommy. Want to take nap wif my mommy." I slipped us under the covers before Vanessa cuddled into me. "A nap sounds good to me." My arm went around Vanessa's tiny frame.

I was succumbing to Troy's comfortable bed. I was succumbing to the silence. I didn't get a lot of it these days. Not that I'm complaining, but my life has definitely changed. I'm not able to spend extra time with friends. I have maybe seen them twice this month. And getting a nap in is nearly impossible. I had to grab the opportunity while I had it.

When Vanessa is taking her nap, there is still so much to be done. Even with the help we have, we still find ourselves busy. I wouldn't change it for the world, though. Being a mother is the greatest feeling. It's scary, but great. My eyes became heavy as they closed, my body soon turned limp.

"Mommy?" Tiny fingered poked my cheek making my groan. "What is it, Baby doll?" I mumbled as I forced myself to open my eyes. Vanessa stared at me in full pout mode.

"Mouf hurts." And just when I found that peaceful moment, it is short lived. "I know, but no more ice pops." I gently tickled her stomach. Maybe we had some baby Tylenol in the house. If I could only work up enough energy to get out of bed.

"Hey there you two are. I just came up to see what was taking so long." I turned towards the door to find Troy leaning against it. I watched as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"New mommy goed home?" Vanessa asked Troy. I bit my lip as I watched Troy's eyes flicker from his daughter to me. "We didn't quite grasp the concept of my mother." I gave a dry laugh and rubbed the side of my face.

"You don't look so good." It was a matter of seconds until Troy was by my side. Vanessa crawled into his lap and grabbed his finger. "We really need to get her some pain medicine." Untangling myself from the covers, I went to stand up. Troy's hand grabbed my arm, pulling me back on the bed.

"How about we take care of you first. What's going on, Pretty, Girl?" I was fighting back the tears that were quickly forming. My eyes blinked frivolously as my head turned away from him. My eyes no longer met his.

"Mama no be sad. Me loves you." My daughter's voice chimed in. His index finger settled under my chin, directing me to face his. My mouth quivered as I looked into his eyes.

"Tell me Brie." I didn't want to lose it in front of Vanessa. Not only would it scare her, but she would probably join me in crying. My voice cracked as I spoke. "I need my Mom." Without any hesitation, Troy stood up. Before he left he placed a kiss on my temple. He was worried, I knew that look. He closed the door when he left allowing me to find my silence again.

My head fell back to Troy's pillow and arms covered my eyes. I wiped a tear that was cascading down my cheek. A soft knock was heard on the door, which I'm assuming was my mother. "Oh Mija, what happened?" I felt her sit on the bed.

Using her fingers she brushed my hair out of my face. I looked up at her and shrugged my shoulders. I was embarrassed by the way I was acting. I have no right to be so selfish when I have to care for another life.

"Ok then how about I talk." I shifted under her gaze uncomfortably. I picked at the comforter with my fingers. "I think you are being too hard on yourself. You are overwhelmed and overtired and not taking care of yourself properly." She put her hand to my cheek.

"Is it that obvious?" I gave a nervous chuckle before propping myself onto Troy's pillows. "You know it's ok to take some time out for yourself, right? I mean Mija, look at you. You are not yourself. How about today, you rest and tomorrow we'll hang out." I shook my head in disagreement. I couldn't do that. It wasn't right.

"Mommy, incase you haven't realized, I have a two year old daughter. I can't just stop and take a vacation from it. It's a full time job." Tears began to build up again. I soon couldn't see through my glassy eyes.

"You don't have to be supermom. Please, let me take Vanessa shopping. I'm pretty sure there's a toy store around here. Do me a favor, please. Let Troy take care of you today; I hate seeing you like this." My mother didn't wait for me to respond. After wiping my tears, I leaned into her embrace. She took my worries away. She always manages to.

I felt like a little kid with her ushering me back under the covers. Before she left she tucked me in and kissed my cheek. I snuggled back under the covers, unable to keep my eyes open for any longer. I succumbed to the silence, finally being able to relax.

**Troy's Pov: **

When Maria comes down the stairs, I will attempt to introduce Vanessa to her again. The first time didn't go so well. As soon as Maria came into Vanessa's view, she hid her face in my shoulder. Most importantly, I wasn't sure what to call Maria. Would she be offended by calling her Grandma? She wasn't that old.

"Dada want to go up" Vanessa told me while pointing to the stairs. I shook my head 'no' and picked her up.

"Mommy's sleeping. We when she wakes up we can see her." This didn't seem to work with her. I saw that infamous pout form on her mouth. "Hey put that lip back in. That's not going to work this time." I heard her sweet giggle fill the air.

"Well it only took about thirty seconds after I left the room for her to fall asleep." I turned around to see Maria walking down the stairs. Almost instantly, Vanessa hid her face in my shirt. "Vanny, this is Mommy's mother." I tried for the fifth time to explain to her. Her tiny hands covered her ears.

"Troy, I have been waiting for grandchildren for months now. Don't take it away from me." I smiled at her and nodded. Turning Vanessa around in my arms, I took her hands away from her ears and held her out to Maria.

"Vanessa, meet Grandma. Grandma, meet Vanessa." Vanessa struggled in my arms for me to put her down. I did so and watched as she ran to Maria. Her small arms went around one of Maria's legs. Smiling, I watching the interaction of Vanessa smiling up at Maria.

"Gandma!" She squealed while I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. The pronouncing- we would work on that later.

**Sorry for the long wait. Hope you enjoyed it. You know the drill by now. When you review, leave your input on what you want to see in the next chapter!**


	38. Chapter 38

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Most of you have been asking for more Troyella, so here it is. This chapter is rated M towards the end. **

**Troy's Pov:**

Standing in the doorway I watched silently as her chest heaved up and down with every breath she took. Her face still pale and empty as before. As I focused in on her face, I found tiny beads of sweat form at her hair line.

Walking into my bathroom, I took out a washcloth from the cabinet and dampened it with cool water. After ringing out the excess water, I returned to Gabriella. She flinched as I laid the damp rag on her forehead, but didn't waken. I wanted so badly just to hold her in my arms and take all the hurt away from her. That would be impossible, though.

Returning to the doorway, I watched her for a few more minutes before retreating downstairs making sure to make the littlest noise possible. The last thing she needed right now was to be woken up. Walking into the kitchen, I started opening up all the cabinets.

Early, just after Vanessa left with Maria to go to the toy store, I had sent Martin out for the day. He needed a break just as much as the rest of his. The problem was, that when he is gone, I am at a loss in the kitchen. Sure I could make a few signature dishes, you know the basic Mac and Cheese, I can grill, boil pasta, but other than that, I am clueless.

"Maybe the refrigerator." I mumbled to myself as I fumbled through it. So far the only thing I had to give her was orange juice.

I suddenly heard a bang from upstairs. It was followed by a sound that sounded like a stampede, almost as if Gabriella was running. I instantly became worried. She was safely in bed no more than five minutes ago. Without wasting another second, I set the orange juice carton on the counter and rushed upstairs. She was no longer in bed. The sheets had fallen to the floor causing me to become worried.

"Babe?" I walked towards the closed bathroom door and put my ear to it. Though low, her cries were clear as day though the thick piece of wood.

My hand griped the brass knob and quickly turned it. I stopped in my tracks as I saw her huddled over the toilet. I winced for her as she emptied what was left of the contents in her stomach into the porcelain toilet. She sat on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her head leaned against the cool tub.

"Baby girl, what happened?" I whispered to her before flushing the toilet. Sitting down next to her, I gently moved her into my lap. Her arms wrapped around my neck and her head buried into my chest.

"I don't feel so good." I heard her mumble through her cries and her muffled voice. I stroked her long curls and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Let me take you to the doctor" I carefully stood up, not wanting to cause any sudden movements. One of my arms wrapped under her bottom, supported her small frame, while the other secured her head to my chest.

"No Troy. I'm fine. It will pass. I just need to sleep it out." She protested before she rinsed out her mouth before I carried her over to the bed. "I'm going to get you something to eat, what would you like?" I asked as I laid her in bed before tucking the covers around her.

"I'm not hungry, I just want you to lay with me." She said as she closed her eyes. "Baby I need to get some sugar in you. I'm sure part of the reason why you're so pale is because of your low blood sugar. It's either eat something or let's go to the doctor." I watched as she shrugged her shoulders and turn away from me. Her features looked so lifeless. It hurt me to see her like this.

"I really don't want to see the doctors stick you with a needle to give you an i.v." The last thing on my mind is to see her in more pain. She detests needles.

"Nothing big." Her voice was soft and low, but I heard it. Kissing her one last time on the forehead, I went downstairs. As I was pouring the orange juice, my phone buzzed on the counter. It was Maria, I notice while looking at the caller id.

"Hey is everything alright?" I answered the phone as I put the carton down. "Yea, we just had lunch, we're on our way back to my house. How's Gabriella?" Her voice was quick and anxious. I could hear Vanessa babbling in the background which made me smile.

"She's not doing so well. She threw up about ten minutes ago and hardly has an appetite. I'm really worried about her." I sighed into the phone. The rest of the conversation was her giving me advice which I took in every bit of it.

Before we hung up I asked her for a big request. I wasn't ready to have Vanessa back in the house. It wasn't safe for her. It wasn't safe for Gabriella. I figured the best way to have Gabriella better, was to have a little vacation. It's not that I don't miss Vanessa, I do. It's just that sometimes as parents, I have learned that to be a better one, you need to take time for yourself. Maria of course said yes without any hesitation. She would be here later one to get some of Vanessa's things.

Taking Maria's advice, I put two pieces of bread into the toaster. The glass of orange juice went on a tray along with the jam covered toast. I ascended up the stairs; my only thoughts were of Gabriella. She looked miserable, I noticed as I entered my bedroom. Getting into bed next to her, I placed the tray of food in front of her.

"Troy, please don't make me." She whimpered as she hid her face in my shirt. Every so gently, I turned her around and leaned her against my chest. Holding up the toast to her lips, I sat patiently as she took tiny bird-like bites. In the time it should have taken her to finish both slices, she had only eaten half of one. I didn't complain, though. I didn't pressure her into eating faster. She was eating, that was the most important part.

"I want to go back to sleep." She said as she turned her head away from the half eaten second slice. Handing her the glass of juice, I put the tray on the floor. Before I could react quick enough though, Shadow came scampering in. her tiny paws perched themselves on the tray as she swiftly took the bread from it. I smiled as I watch her find a hiding spot deeply embedded in my open closet.

Taking the now empty glass from Gabriella's hand, I walked over to the dresser to place it down. "You're not going to leave me, right?" Her voice suddenly became small and timid. Her anxious eyes looked up at me as worry lines started to appear on her forehead. She gripped onto the blanket ready to get out.

"Shh, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." I soothed her fears as I climbed back into bed. After pulling the covers around both of us, my hands slipped under her t-shirt, feeling the warmth radiating off her hot skin. She pulled herself as close as she could do me and I did the same. Her body was pressed against my chest. She moved her left leg to drape over my lower waist. I traced imaginary shaped on her back, both of us falling to sleep rather quickly being lulled by each others heart beats.

We slept like that for about two hours before I was woken up by Gabriella moving around. I pried my eyes open. They squinted, readjusting to the light. "What's wrong baby girl?" I whispered, not yet fully woken up. I looked down to find her struggling to get her white t-shirt off.

"I'm really hot." Her face was a bit flushed. I helped her pull the shirt over her head, only to realize that it was damp. "Your fever must have broken." I said as I took mine off too. Due to the fact we were pressed up against each other, my shirt was a bit wet too. Getting out of bed, I gave Gabriella the top sheet to cover herself with while I took the hot thick covers off of the bed.

"Do you feel any better, Sweetheart?" I raised my voice as I entered the bathroom, soaking a hand towel with cold water. "I actually feel a lot better; I might need a few more hours of sleep though and maybe an open window." She told me once I came back into the room. After handing her the wash cloth, I walked to the window.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Gabriella's voice was muffled, her head faced down on the pillow. I looked at her confused as I slid the window up. The cool breeze kissed my cheeks.

"What?" Her eyes met mine as she threw her hair up into a messy bun. "I thought I heard the door bell go off." She said as she settled back into the covers. "Oh that's probably your mom and Vanessa. Your mom is taking her for the night." Gabriella looked down. Her fingers picked at the thin sheet. "Because of me?" It sounded almost as if she was embarrassed. I walked towards the door.

"No, we need some us time." I said before leaving the room. Not wanting to take the chance of Vanessa entering our room, I closed the bedroom door. "Dada!" Vanessa squealed when she saw me. "Hey baby girl, are you having fun with Grandma?" I hugged Maria before taking Vanessa into my arms and walking upstairs. "Saw toys!" I chuckled and carried on the conversation with my daughter as we walking into her room.

"I didn't get a chance to pack a bag yet, so I'll just go through everything with you." I told Maria. "She's fine, much better from when I talked to you before." I answered Maria's worried face before she had the chance to ask the question. "Oh thank god." Relief washed over her face. I could tell she was really worried about her daughter.

"Ok, so you have pajamas, clothes for tomorrow, pull-ups and a toothbrush. I'll give you an extra pair of clothes just incase. I gave her a bath this morning, so she's good." I put everything into a small duffle bag, before giving it to Maria.

"Do you want to take anything to Grandma's house?" I placed Vanessa on her feet. She walked over to her bed and grabbed her bear. "Mr. Snuggles go?" She gave me that famous pout, making me soften. I nodded at her and she handed him off to Maria. Vanessa raised her arms towards me.

"Where's mommy?" Her sad voice spoke quietly as I lifted her into my arms. Her tiny arms wrapped around my neck and I gently swayed us back and forth. "Mommy will see you tomorrow and so will I. Have fun with Grandma, ok?" I handed her over to Maria, after giving her hugs and kisses.

"Oh her cup is in the kitchen. Let me just get that for you before you leave. Don't give her peanuts by the way, she's allergic." I kept thinking of little things to tell Maria. "Troy, it's ok, you go back to her. Don't forget, I have a daughter, I know how this stuff goes. I'll get the cup and lock the door on my way out." She gave me a hug while I smiled in appreciation at her. Saying our one last goodbye, I watched as they descended down the stairs before going back to my room.

I could tell Gabriella was fighting the urge to fall asleep by the heaviness of her eyelids. Slipping into bed, I rolled her onto my chest so our stomachs were touching. "Are you still hot?" I mumbled into her hair while gently scratching her bare back. Her skin now felt cool to the touch, which relaxed me. "No, just tired." She placed tiny kisses along my chest causing me to hold her tighter to my body.

"If you keep that up, I'm never going to let you get to sleep." I told her. Hearing her giggle fill the room put me at ease. She was going to be just fine. I knew it.

"Thank you for taking such good care of me." Her arms wrapped around my neck and placed a kiss on my lips. My hands slipped below her sweatpants. In tiny circles, I rubbed the spot just above her panty line. I could feel her hands play with the strings on my sweatpants. My hands clasped around her small ones as I smiled into the kiss.

"Brie, lets just take the next few hours slowly. I don't want you to relapse." Her innocent eyes looked up at me, pouting. My word was final. There is nothing more important to me than her health. I settled down and eventually so did she.

We woke up not to only after, only about 8pm. "You look good" I said to her. Her color was back, her face no longer flushed. "I feel good." She mumbled against my chest. It brought relief to me to know that we had gotten through this bump in the road. Though it was a scary situation, it was a learning experience- just like everything is these days.

"You hungry?" I moved a stray hair out of her eyes as she adjusted herself in my arms. As if on cue, my stomach growled making us both giggle. "A little, it sounds like we need to get some food in you, though." Gabriella said as she gently poked my stomach.

My hands glided over the smooth skin of her back and back down to her sides. I loved the feeling of silk she gave off. I placed numerous kissed onto her head as my hands glided over her shoulder, stopping for a moment to massage them.

"MMmmm I remember these massages." She moaned as she broke away from me. I watched as she sat up and laid down across from me on her stomach. She stretched her hands above her head as her head buried itself into the comforter.

"Continue." Her muffled voice was barely heard amongst the blankets. Chuckling, I put both my legs on either side of her and grabbed her hand cream off the night table. "Do you care if it is scented; I think it's your strawberry." I opened the cap and squeezed some into my palm, the smell slowly defusing through the room. "No, it's fine." She picked her head up and smiled at me before setting it back down.

With the only light from the moon coming through the window, I rubbed the lotion into her skin, gently kneading her tight muscles. "Ughhhh that feels amazing." She moaned as I continued the massage. My hands traveled to her shoulders, up to her arms, and then to her sides. Her moans filled the room. Leaning down, my lips started massaging her neck, placing kisses in every spot I could get to.

"If Martin comes back early, he's going to think we are up to something by the sounds your making." I whispered to her. Without warning, she flipped onto her back. Her bare chest face up at me. I looked down and rubbed the remains of the lotion on my hands onto her stomach. She emitted another moan as my hands traveled up to her breasts.

Leaning down, I gently took one into my mouth both hardened due to my actions. She gasped in delight as I nibbled on it, making sure I performed to same treatment to the other one. I placed kisses along the valley of her breasts, traveling up to her throat and chin. Her fingers tangled themselves in my hair, slowly bringing me closer to her lips. My knees became weak as she deepened the kiss, my hands no longer able to support my body.

In one smooth motion, I flipped us over. She didn't seem to notice, though. My hands roamed her body until they settled on her thin sweatpants. Tugging at the string, they soon became loose. My thumbs hooked under the waist band as they guided them down her slim legs. I lifted my hips as she did the same to me. Her warm soft legs were felt on mine. I couldn't help but run my hands along the back of her thighs. Never once did we break the kiss.

My hunger of food long gone, now replaced with a different kind of hunger. Both our underwear was quickly shed not long after. I laid her on her back as I guided myself into her. She gasped, breaking the kiss for only a moment before her hands pulled me closer. Sometime during this I heard Shadow prance out of the room. Smart little dog.

Our body's danced in the moonlight, become one. Her legs locked around my waist pulling me deeper inside of her. We continued with our actions well into the night until both of us were worn out from exhaustion. My body collapsed next to hers keeping her in my arms.

"God can we stay like this forever?" She sighed and snuggled deeper into my arms.

"One condition." I kissed her forehead causing her shining eyes to look up at me. "Marry me?" Her eyes brimmed with tears.

"Will you still mean it tomorrow?" The doubt in her mind was probably due to the hype that happened not too long ago. I never want her to doubt me though. "Forever and ever, Babe." It was sealed with a simple kiss. That… and round two.

**I hoped you enjoyed it and got your fill of Troyella for now from that chapter. Leave suggestions for next chapter.**


	39. Chapter 39

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**The next chapter has a lot of drama! This chapter is all about the relationship between Gabriella and Vanessa.**

**Gabriella's Pov:**

I lay awake in bed in the late hours of the afternoon staring at my hand. My ring finger glistened in the sun as the diamond caught the glint of light streaming through the window. I smiled in contentment as I thought back to the events of last night. It wasn't long after the question was asked until he pulled the dark blue ring box from its embedded place within his dresser drawer. The beautifully perfect ring had a white gold band along with tiny encrusted diamonds around it. It was simple; what I liked. What he knew I liked.

As I leaned back against the pillows I adjusted the thin sheet, raising it over m As I leaned back against the pillows I adjusted the thin sheet, raising it over my chest and under my arms.

Breaking my gaze, my eyes traveled to the two outfits laid our neatly across the arm of the couch. One black suit and one black dress lay patiently waiting for them to be worn. It would only be a matter of hours, though. Only a matter of hours until both Troy and I have to face Carlos. Only a matter of hours until we see him, color drained from his face, his body cold and lifeless. To tell you the truth, I was nervous. I did want this to be the last thing I see of him.

"What are you thinking about. Babe?" My attention turned back to Troy whose eyes were still closed. Snuggling back under the covers, my hands found their way tangling themselves in his disheveled hair. Placing a kiss on his forehead I felt his arms wrap around my bare waist.

"Just thinking about today. What time do we need to drop Vanessa off at Zac's?" It was only a matter of seconds until I found his cobalt eyes staring up at me. I watched his tired eyes glance at the clock. It was a little after 10:30.

"We should get up. Your mom is dropping Vanessa off at 11. The wake starts at 2, but I think we should drop Vanessa off at 1 just to get her settled and comfortable with us leaving." I nodded against his chest. My smile turned into a pout as he kicked the covers off both of us.

"Two more minutes?" I mumbled against his chest. I didn't want to face the day just yet.

"Come on Brie, I'll fill up the Jacuzzi for you." I smiled at this and rolled off of him. As he stood up he held out his hand. Neither of us bothered to wrap a sheet around us as we walked into the bathroom.

"Are you joining me?" I asked as he turned the knobs on the Jacuzzi tub. Ever since last night, I felt the need to be near him. I felt the need to have him in sight. It was almost as if last night had been a dream. As if I were on could nine.

"Babe, you know if I could, I would. I have to get dressed, before your mom gets here with Vanessa. You enjoy, baby." A smiled formed on my face as he kissed my forehead. I watched him walk out the door before I settled into the water. The water came up to my shoulders as I turned the jets on. Faintly, I could hear the doorbell go off followed by Troy yelling down to Martin that he would get it.

Through this experience, I realize now that Troy had been right. Who knows what would have happened if I kept putting up the façade. Not only would I have been miserable, but my health would have started to decrease even more rapidly over time. I wouldn't have been able to be the best mother possible. I wouldn't have been happy.

"Mama!!" I smiled to myself and opened my eyes, hearing the pitter patter of tiny feet run across the bathroom floor. She stopped when she got to me. Her tiny stature not being able to see over the Jacuzzi tub.

"Hi baby girl, did you have fun at Grandma's?" I peered over the edge to look at her.

"Gandma buyed toys." Leaning down, I kissed her tiny hands that were gripped to the top of the tub.

"Want in Mama. Want in!" My heart melted at her request. I missed this girl more than I realized.

"Go ask Daddy." I whispered to her.

"Ask me what?" I turned my attention to the door to see Troy walk in. Vanessa ran to Troy who lifted her into the air.

"Me go in pool." I felt Troy's eyes on me, cause me to look up at him.

"You want her in there with you?" Troy asked me as he set Vanessa on the floor. I watched as Vanessa tried to tug her pants down, though she was failing miserably. I nodded my head and smiled. It was only a day that I hadn't seen my daughter. Even that was too long.

"Come here, Princess." I watched as Troy kneeled down waiting patiently for Vanessa to walk over to him. He seemed so gentle and patient with her, it made me smile.

"Your mother said she didn't sleep at all last night. She might fall asleep in there with you." I smiled at him as he handed my daughter over into my waiting arms. The room filled with her giggles as she sat on my lap.

"I'm just going to go get dressed. I'll come in when we need to get going." Troy kissed us both before walking out of the room.

"And why wouldn't you sleep for Grandma, Missy?" I turned my attention to Vanessa who was reaching for me. I laid her body against mine, her head, resting just below my collar bone.

"No haf Mama." She looked up at me with the in famous pout. Her big brown doe eyes stared up at me.

"Mama piddy!" I looked down to find her playing with my left hand. She gazed at the ring before poking it.

"Daddy gave me that. It means we are going to be together forever." She dropped my hand back into the tub before wrapping her arms around my neck. I hugged her tighter to my chest. As we sat in silence for the next couple of minutes, I couldn't but to feel completely at bliss at the moment.

As I laid, back the jets soothed my sore muscles. I could feel the warmth was soothing Vanessa too. Though some part in me told me it was me. She needed her mother. I looked down at Vanessa when she started fidgeting it my arms. I watched as she reached her arms up as far as she could. Her feet pushed against my legs, almost as if she were trying to kick me away. It took me a few seconds to realize she was stretching.

After a couple of seconds her body fell limply against mine. As her eyes became heavy her tiny mouth latched onto her thumb. I readjusted her body to make sure her head was fully out of the water. As I did this, she omitted a small whimper before curling up in my arms.

I waited until I heard her even breaths before carefully standing up. Holding her closer to my chest, I attempted to shield her from the drafty room. I spotted my green towel folded neatly on top of the sink. Though I knew my way around this house pretty well, I had yet to locate a few things. That included where the spare towels were kept.

Without thinking about it any longer, I wrapped my towel around Vanessa's tiny frame. Before exiting the bathroom I drained the Jacuzzi.

"Don't you look handsome." I leaned against the frame of the door as I started at Troy. He previously had been fixing his hair in the mirror. I found him meeting my gaze.

"Thanks Babe. I was just coming to get you." I watched as he walked over to us. He smiled when he saw Vanessa fast asleep cocooned in my bath towel.

"Do you want me to get you a towel or are you just trying to tease me, Mrs. Bolton." My breath caught in my throat as the words escaped from his mouth. I loved the way it rolled off his tongue so easily. My forehead leaned against his. His cool breath was felt on my hot skin.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that." He gently grasped the back of my neck, bringing my face close enough for him to kiss me. Immediately I deepened the kiss unable to get enough of him.

"Mmmm. You know if we keep this up, we are never going to make it to that funeral." I mumbled against his lips. He let out a playful groan of annoyance, before taking a step back.

"I'll take this one and get her dressed while you put your clothes on, Beautiful." I shook my head in disagreement.

"She's not going to like that. I can tell you that now. Once you take her from me, she is going to realize it's not me anymore." I walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of underwear with my free hand. It was an even harder task to put them on. With all my bending over and wiggling, I was surprised that Vanessa hadn't woken up.

"We'll see about that Mommy." Troy said as he held out his arms for Vanessa. Leaning towards him, as motionless as I could, I placed my daughter into his arms.

I watched silently as the seen unfolded before me. Vanessa's head nuzzled into Troy's chest. She did that for about a good minute before her head flailed and small whimpers escaped her lips. She released her thumb from her mouth before pushing against Troy's chest with her hands. I smiled victoriously at him and held out my arms. He gave me a questioning look.

"I hold her exactly like you do and she still notices." Shrugging my shoulders I went to take the upset two year old from him. Troy turned his back and smiled.

"Not until you put that dress on you're killing me when you walk around like that. Plus we are going to be late." I chuckled and quickly slipped the black dress over my head. Reaching up to fix my hair, I took the pony holder out and let my curls cascade down my back.

"I'm ready!" I exclaimed while walking over to him.

"You know the one of many things I love about you?" I blushed as I stared up at him. He seemed to make me do that so easily.

"What?"

"I love how comfortable you are in your own skin. I love the fact that while most girls would spend hours in front of a mirror trying on dress after dress along with doing their make up, you can spend a second and still manage to look even better than them. I think that is even sexier than having pounds of makeup on like models do. I have my own model and she is perfect with out the embellishments." I beamed at Troy with tears in my eyes. He pulled me into a hug before kissing my forehead.

"You really are perfect." I smiled up at him. Kissing him once more before breaking away, he handed Vanessa over to me.

"You have ten minutes to relax with her before we need to get going. I'm just going to back a bag for her quickly.

"Mama." I heard Vanessa say frustrated. I looked down at her to see her heavy eyes pried open. She yawned as she rested her head against my collar bone. She made no attempt to close her eyes though.

"Give me a minute, Honey." I whispered to her as I kissed her dark auburn curls. I grabbed a pair of light pink sweatpants, a white t-shirt and a pull-up before laying her down on the bed. She whimpered as I dressed her. Her tiny arms rose to me wanting to be held**. **After putting her socks on, I lifted her into my arms beforesituating myself on the rocking chair and laying Vanessa down in my arms.

Almost instantly she curled up and snuggled her head under my right breast. It was her place. The place where she got comfort from. I watched as she gripped a lock of my hair into her tiny fist, twirling it around her finger. Pushing off the ground, I gently rocked us back and forth. As the minutes passed her hand went limp along with the rest of her body.

My hand went to her innocent looking face. With the back of my hand, I traced her cheek, rubbing it gently.

"I see why she prefers you over me. I personally like that part of you too." I looked up from the rocking chair to see Troy learning over it. He nudged me playfully as I shook my head at his playful banter.

"I think it comforts her. You know, makes her feel secure." I looked up at him and smiled. Right now, Vanessa needed that. She needed to feel that safe feeling. After all that has happened, I wasn't going to deny her. Stand up, I followed Troy out of the room.

"Do you know how to get to the Efrons? I asked him as I descended down the stairs.

"Yea its two streets before the church." He said as he handed me my purse.

"Martin, are you meeting us there or do u want to come?" I watched Troy peek into the kitchen to talk to Martin. I heard him politely decline before we walked out of the house.

The ride to the Efrons house was uneventful. Troy parked in the driveway and went to get Vanessa's bag out of the trunk, while I unstrapped my daughter.

"Come on Baby Girl, wake up." I gently rubbed her back as I laid her head on my shoulder. I watched as her dark chocolate eyes fluttered open.

"Mama, where goin?" Her small arms wrapped around my neck as I carried her up the porch steps. From the outside, the house was beautiful. It had a huge wrap around porch. The front of the house showed stone siding which gave the house an even more warm and welcoming look.

"You Missy, are going to play with Zac today. Do you remember him from preschool?" I asked as I rang the door bell.

"Hims nice. Him gived me cookie. Him ok Mama." I looked up when I heard the door unlock. A young looking woman with shoulder length dirty blonde hair answered the door.

"Hi you must be Gabriella and Troy. I'm Lucille. It's so good to finally meet you! All I have been hearing is Zac talk about Vanessa for the past week. Come in, Come in." She ushered us in her home while giving us a warm smile. She was so friendly that it put me at ease to leave Vanessa here. I knew she would be fine.

"Zac, sweetie, look who's here!" She called across the room.

"Thank you so much for taking her on such short notice." I said as I tried to pry Vanessa off of me. She was glued to my side, uncertain about her surroundings.

"Oh don't worry about it. I was actually going to call you to set up a play date. Although I am sorry about the condition you are under. Any time you want just drop her off. It must be hard on you two." I let Troy answer this one.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw little Zac walking over. I smiled as his eyes lit up once he saw Vanessa on my lap. He picked up the pace and started running. Turning Vannessa around, I set her on her feet. I laughed as Zac almost tackled her in a hug. She gripped the end of my dress to catch her balance.

"Zachary Efron. You have to be gentler with her. She's younger than you." I smiled as I watched Lucille shake her head at Troy and I.

"He doesn't know his own strength." She continued. "Anything I should know. What time does she nap? What does she like to eat?" I ran my fingers through Vanessa's hair when she laid her head against my leg.

"She usually will go down around 1. She's pretty good about eating, but she won't eat carrots and she has a nut allergy. Everything you need is here." I saw Troy hold up the bag he had packed this morning.

"That sounds easy enough. She took the bag Troy held out for her.

"We should be back around four. Vanessa needs to be asked if she needs to use the bathroom. Nine times out of ten she won't tell you. When we leave she might get really shy. Just tell her to use her word if she starts pointing at things." We began to stand up. Vanessa's eyes followed mine as the three of us made our way to the door.

"Thanks again Lucille." Troy said as he picked Vanessa up to say goodbye. I smiled as she squeezed his face together to form a fish face before giving him a kiss. Taking her from Troy's arms, she started to pout. I crumbled at the face.

"Me go too Mommy?" I taught her too well. My heart melted at her innocent face.

"You are going to play with Zac for a few hours. We'll be back before you know it." I gave her a kiss before setting her down. She raised her arms to me in full pout mode. It was hard for me not to give in. Troy and I made our way out the door, not once looking back. I knew if I did, she would be in the car with us going to the wake.

If I looked back I would give in to that innocent little girl. Troy and I walked hand and hand into the car to the start of a long, long day.

**Lucille's Pov:**

As I watched Zac and Vanessa color quietly together, I couldn't help but notice how much Vanessa looks like Gabriella. I never would have guessed that Gabriella wasn't Vanessa's mother. It interests me to see the close bond she has with both of them, especially Gabriella. And what a beautiful little girl she is. She had brown curly hair that fell just below her shoulder with brown eyes to match.

Unloading Vanessa's bag, I couldn't help but smile. I looked at the soft bear in my hands and couldn't help to think back to the teddy bear, Zac had when he was a baby. Of course being three and a big boy, that bear now lays deeply embedded in his closet.

After pulling out various things, from clothes, snacks, a juice cup, and her blanket, I couldn't help but think about how badly I wanted another child; a little girl this time. Zac was getting to that age where he wasn't so little anymore. Not so dependent on me all the time. A few months ago a came to the conclusion with my husband, Jack, that it was time for us to start trying again. Nothing has happened so far, but I wasn't even close to losing my faith. I knew when the time was right it would happen.

"Mom, can me and Vanessa play basketball?" I set the bag on the floor and kneeled down in front of the two.

"Do you want to play basketball, Vanessa?" she took her thumb out of her mouth and looked blankly at me. Her eyes gazed at the floor for a minute before meeting my eye again.

"Tummy Hungry." I smiled when she pouted and pointed to her stomach.

"Can we have lunch now?" I laughed at Zac. For the past hour he has been doing whatever it takes to make Vanessa happy. So far that included giving up his coloring chair, letting her use his crayons, and he insisted on holding her hand to make sure she was next to him.

"What do you two want for lunch?" I watched as Zac whispered in her ear. He still didn't grasp the concept that when you whisper, putting your hands around her ear isn't going to do much if you don't lower your voice. Vanessa nodded before sticking her thumb into her mouth.

"We want Mac and Cheessy." The rest of the day was uneventful. After lunch I took them both to the bathroom before they watched The Little Mermaid, Vanessa's choice of course.

By around 3 o'clock, both kids were sleeping when the doorbell rang. As I opened the door, I half expected what I saw. Gabriella and Troy stood in front of me. Gabriella's makeup long gone and both eyes were bloodshot red.

They looked miserable to tell you the truth. They gripped each others hand tightly for support as they walked into my house. I could tell today was very hard for them without them even telling me.

"Come sit, I was just making a pot of coffee. " I said as I led them into the kitchen. I smiled at the couple as I poured the coffee into mugs. Troy sat down before pulling Gabriella onto his lap. As I set their mugs on the table and sitting down, I saw out of the corner of my eye, Troy kissing Gabriella on the forehead. I inwardly squealed but pretended as if it didn't affect me.

"How was she?" Troy's voice sounded different; sad. I nodded my head as I took a sip of the hot liquid.

"She is probably the most well behaved child I have ever met. She didn't cry or whine once. She's very easy going." This put a smile on both their faces.

"I'm so glad. Yeah, she amazes us sometimes. It's rare for her to cry." We carried on the conversation for well over five minutes before we heard the sound of footsteps against the hardwood floor.

"Hey Zac!" I heard Troy say. I turned around to see my son's eyes perk up before running to us.

"I didn't mean to, I just wanted to play!" I shook my head at him. No sentence coming from his mouth that started like that was ever good. Pulling him into my lap, I began fixing his messy hair.

"What did you do?" He looked up at and gave me his innocent smile.

"I waked her. I wanted to play. I sorry! She's not happy." I looked up at Troy and Gabriella with a look of apology. Vanessa may be well behaved, but Zac still had to work on that sometimes. Troy un-wrapped his arms from Gabriella and allowed her to stand up.

"Is she in the living room?" Gabriella smiled at me. I nodded my head before focusing my attention on Zac.

"Zac that wasn't nice. She was tired. Next time when someone is sleeping wait for them to wake up themselves." Zac nodded his head and said he was sorry once more before climbing off my lap.

**Gabriella's Pov:**

"Aw look who woke up." Vanessa pouted at me with tears in her eyes.

After pulling the blanket off of her I picked her up and rubbed her back. She returned to her normal self in a matter of minutes.

Sometimes all you need is your mommy. She makes everything better. I've learned that this past week. So for now, I held my daughter closer, giving her the comfort she needed just like my mother had done with me when I was little.

**Ok so in this chapter I wanted to show off the relationship between Gabriella and Vanessa. The next chapter will be full of drama! I hope you weren't too bored by this chapter. What would you like to see in the next chapter? Send me a message!**


	40. Chapter 40

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**It has been brought to my attention that I made a recent flub in the ages. This is my only logical explanation. Due to Gabriella being a genius, she has now only excelled in college with honors, but skipped a couple of grades in high school. This makes it acceptable for her to be about 19 and have a degree in early childhood education. I hope I didn't bore you all with this nonsense blurb. Enjoy this long awaited chapter.**

**Troy POV:**

The months of summer passed by quickly and as the short days of August came to an end, autumn set in. The trees began to change color and the weather had gotten considerably cooler. It had taken some time, but Gabriella and I formed a routine with taking care of Vanessa. It is like we have been doing it from the start. We had to – grow up I mean. It wasn't an option.

Walking into my daughter's room, I opened the blinds, letting the sunlight stream in through the window. There were many firsts today. Gabriella and I were starting our new job as faculty of East Elementary School, and Vanessa was starting her first day of preschool. That's right, my baby is growing up.

It is bittersweet to watch her grow up. A part of me wants her to stay this way forever. I want her to be the one dependent on us. I want her soft voice talking to me about god knows what forming unthinking sentences that only a toddler would say. I want her to stay teeny tiny and daddy's little princess. Secretly, she will always be daddy's little princess though, even when she is getting married and having kids of her own. I think I am getting a little ahead of myself there.

To get us here, the first day of preschool, was a big milestone. Among this milestone are tiny ones that may seem insignificant to most. The bottom gate at the stairs has been removed leaving only the top one locked. Vanessa has also managed to master the stairs – in her own special way I might add. Her centimeter taller stature crawls up the stairs just fine with few wobbles and stubbles. It is the getting down part that amazes me. She will literally ease herself down on her stomach and slide down. That is the part the worries me. That is why I refuse to remove the gate at the top of the stairs.

A few weeks later she became day potty trained. Thankfully for the school, this is acceptable. We weren't pushing her though. After all she has been though so much.

Her third birthday was a memory that I will hold onto for the rest of my life. I remember it so clearly .

_Flashback_

"_Mama not here!" Her worried voice rang through my ears as she tugged on my pant leg. She pushed her bottom lip out, something Gabriella had recently taught her to perfect, and stuck her thumb in her mouth. I shook my head and lifted her up. With my index finger, I pulled her small thumb out from her mouth, discouraging her bad habit. For some reason ever since Carlos had passed, she has been relying on it a lot. _

"_Remember what we talked about? Mommy is going to get a cake because it is somebody's birthday." I gently tickled her stomach and gave her Eskimo kisses, causing her to squeal in delight. _

_Putting her down, she ran into the room. I sighed as I sat on the couch watching my daughter prance around the living room in her pink tutu. Gabriella managed to pull Vanessa's hair up into a pony tail despite the wiggling girl. _

_I smiled and shook my head as Shadow followed her around the room, trying to chase her. _

"_I free, I free!" She sang in her small cute voice_.

_I held my arms open for her. She stopped running and walked over to me. Her head lay down on my knee before looking up at me with those big brown doe eyes._

"_Babe, you're not free, you are three." I tried as best as I could to enunciate the word for her. _

_She lifted her arms up to me. I gladly settled her on my lap. Her eyes glazed over as both of her hands flew up to my cheeks. She squished them together like a fish before speaking to me. "Dada no want to be tree. Want to be Vanny. No live outside. Squirrellies gonna get me!" She hid her head in the crook of my neck. I couldn't help but smile and hold onto her, wanting this moment to last forever._

"_Ok you can go back to being "free." I gently patted her butt and leaned back on the couch. "Me love you Dada." I couldn't help a tear from escaping my eye as I held my daughter close to me. _

_End flashback_

I smiled thinking about the memory. We have come so far since then. Vanessa's bond with us has only gotten stronger. She, like most kids has her preferences about which parent she wants at which time. Walking over to her princess bed, I gently took the hair out of her eyes.

"Vanny wake up." She opened her eyes briefly before shutting them again. A small smile was playing on her mouth as she lifted the covers above her head.

"I want you out of this bed by the time I come back, Missy." I heard her sweet giggle under the covers before I walked out of the room.

One down, one to go, I told myself as I entered my room. I looked at the clock on the bedside table reading 6:30 before making my way over to the bed. Pulling the covers down I watched my sleeping goddess sleep. She lay on her stomach, her face buried into the pillows. My hand went to her back and slowly made its way underneath her sleep shirt.

"Brie, come on wake up, we are going to be late." I said as I gently scratched her back. She omitted a grunt before turning away from me.

"I'll come back in a minute." I placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck before returning to Vanessa. Pealing back the covers, I was met with her sleeping form curled underneath the covers.

"What am I going to do with you?" I shook my head and gently picked her up, laying her against my shoulder. Even in her sleeping state her tiny thumb still managed to find its way in her mouth.

Walking into her closet I located the lavender sun dress that Gabriella had picked out yesterday. Beneath that was a new pair of white sneakers. Laying Vanessa on her bed, I gently pulled her pants off along with her t-shirt. Her small body shivered in the early mornings chill. Without much movement I slipped the dress over her body and put socks on her. As I settled her back in my arms, I adjusted the dress and walked out of the room.

"She is so your daughter." I said to myself as I shook my head. Gabriella, like Vanessa, was snuggled under the covers and sleeping soundly.

"Babe, you need to wake up. We can't be late on the first day." I pulled the covers onto the floor. She groaned and sat up before rubbing the side of her face. I watched as she dragged her tired body into the bathroom. The motion of my body descending down the stairs caused Vanessa to stir in my arms.

"What would you like for breakfast, Sweetheart?" I kissed the top of her head before settling her in her chair.

"Want big girl chair. I free now." I chuckled as I started to pull out a cereal bowl. Clearly, I wasn't getting her input on breakfast anytime soon.

"You may be three, but you still wont be able to see over the table in the other chairs." I said as I poured lucky charms cereal into a bowl. I watched her pout for a minute before her eyes lit up when I placed breakfast in front of her. In that respect she is just like me. The way to her heart is through food. I jogged over to the staircase as soon as I heard Vanessa unlatch the safety gate.

"Brie, before you come down, can you grab a pair of underwear, her white shoes on the bed, and her backpack?" She nodded her head while she tied her loose curls in a side pony tail against her neck. I may love her curls, but all the three and four year olds are going to want to do is pull on them.

As I waited for Shadow to come down the stairs, with Gabriella, I filled up his bowl and gave him some fresh water.

"Is Martin up yet?" Gabriella asked as she wiped Vanessa's face. I guess I hadn't taken notice that Martin wasn't down here. Usually he woke up long before we all did. Taking the shoes from her hand, I slipped Vanessa's small foot in them.

"He must still be sleeping. He deserves a day to sleep in." Gabriella smiled on nodded before grabbing a banana along with her bag and Vanessa's.

"Dada no go school. Play with you." My heart melted as I unbuckled Vanessa from her booster seat. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I carried her out of the kitchen.

"Don't worry we are all going. You are going to have so much fun; and Zac is going to be in your class." I told her as I slipped her pull-ups off of her.

"Go potty before we leave." I lead her in the direction of the bathroom. Gabriella handed me her 'Dora the Explorer' underwear while we waited for her to come back.

"Do you have everything set up in your classroom?" Gabriella nodded her head and smiled. "Yeah, thank god I got it all done a week early." She told me as Vanessa came running to me.

"Did you wash your hands?" I slipped her brand new underwear on her as she looked up at me. She turned her hands palm side up and shrugged her shoulders. "No reach water. I yittle." Before I knew it Gabriella was pulling out baby wipes out of her bag and handing them off to Vanessa.

"Tank you Mama." "You're welcome baby doll." I tried my best to usher Vanessa out of the house as quickly as possible.

It was only a matter of minutes until we were going to be late. Today no conversation was made in the car. We all had our own fears about today. Though I carried less of the burden due to only teaching gym, I still had nothing to contribute. Vanessa I knew was not only worried for her class, but how Vanessa would adjust. Vanessa at this point has no interest in going. She wants to stay home and play.

I pulled into my designated parking spot in the teacher's lot and exhaled deeply. "I think my class is signed up for gym in the afternoon, so I will see you then, Babe." Gabriella kissed my lips before picking Vanessa up and closing the car door. Vanessa wrapped her arms around Gabi's neck before snuggling into her shoulder.

"Home?" She knew exactly how to play each parent and what to do or say. For me it was her pout, but all she needs to do to Gabriella is cuddle up to her. Gabriella looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Mommy has to go, but she is going to be in the classroom next to you. You'll see her a lot during the day." Prying Vanessa from Gabi was no easy task, but it was successful. "I'll see you later Baby Girl. Have fun today. I love you" I held Vanessa out to Gabriella so she could receive her kiss.

"No go I yove you Mama!" I received one as well before I watched her walk into the school. Due to having her own class, Gabriella was expected to be early to meet the parents.

"Ok now you pipsqueak. I will see you after lunch. Zac is in your class. You are going to make so many friends." I kissed her forehead as she rubbed her eye with her fists.

Walking into the building I was once again met with the cheerful colors of the hallway. Having already met with Vanessa's teacher, I knew exactly where her classroom was. Many kids were already inside and running around. The teacher, Miss Kristen, was trying to keep up with them. It looks like she has two helpers in the classroom. They both had nametags, which I was unable to read despite how much I squinted.

"Hi Mr. Bolton, nice to see you again." Vanessa's teacher, shook me from my thought.

"Hi, nice to see you again." Resting my briefcase against my leg, I tried my best to unlatch my daughter from me. She grabbed fistfuls of my shirt while looking at me with tears in her eyes. I scanned the room for her curly blonde haired friend, but I didn't see him yet, I guess he had yet to arrive. There is still a few minutes left before the bell rings.

"Daddy has to go, Sweet Pea." Here it comes. Her lip pushed out and tears started to travel down her cheeks. She omitted soft cries and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Excuse us." I said to her teacher. Bending down I picked up my briefcase and secure the strap on my shoulder before walking into the hallway. Vanessa started gasping for air signaling that she was having a panic attack.

"Alright, it's ok. I got you." I held her close to me and rubbed her back trying to soothe her. She took frequent deep breaths as I rocked her back and forth. I knew I just had to let this run its course.

"Oh my. Is she ok?" I turned around to find a worried Mrs. Efron. I smiled at a friendly face before nodding.

"Panic attack." I kissed Vanessa's head once more.

"Don't worry. Nessa. School is fun!" Zac spoke up sporting his 'cars' backpack along with matching lunchbox. Vanessa made no indication that she heard him. Probably because most likely she didn't hear him over her gasps.

"Here" I watched Mrs. Efron reach into her bag and rummage through it with haste. She pulled out a small water bottle before unscrewing the top and handing it to me. "Zac used to go through this what he was younger." I accepted the water and held it up to Vanessa's lips. She drank it greedily for a good minute before I gave it back to Mrs. Efron to put the cap back on.

"Thank you so much." She was right. It did help. It was only about five more minutes until Vanessa stopped gasping for air altogether. Setting her on her feet I wiped her tears before leading her over to Zac.

"Lets go. Wanna sit next to me?" I smiled when Zac grabbed her hand, trying the lead the way. Vanessa looked back at me and raised her arm.

"I'll see you soon, Peanut. Love you." I kissed and hugged her one last time before giving her an encouraging push in the classroom direction with Zac. Looking at their linked hands I noticed that she had a firm grip onto Zac. It both made me smile and become slightly worried. If this was the beginning of her crushed, then I was surely in for it when she became a teenage. God, I don't even want to think about that. Just let me get through this whole preschool business.

Mrs. Efron and I talked all the way down the hallway. I made sure to invite Zac over to our house sometime this week. It was her turn for a break. She deserved it for how much she helped us out during Carlos' death.

We said our goodbye's before I headed to the gym to meet the three other gym teachers. Though I didn't have a class right away, I still needed to set up the basketballs and get myself settled in my office. Today is going to be a long day, I just know it.

**Gabriella's POV: **

I was surprisingly keeping myself together despite the twenty two, three and four year olds running around the room. I did have two helpers, which to me was a huge advantage.

Before I began anything I wanted to give all the parents a chance to leave. My mind went back to my daughter multiple times throughout the first hour of preschool. I wanted to badly to poke my head into the room just to check on her and make sure she is ok. I wanted to see it for myself that she wasn't crying. Most importantly I wanted her in my classroom.

I don't think I share the feeling of separation anxiety with her but I believe it is more jealousy than anything else. I am jealous of the bond she is going to form with her teachers. I am worried that she is going to have so much fun today that she won't want to spend anytime with me anymore. I am worried about her growing up. I am worried that soon we aren't going to be the only two people in her hearts anymore.

I put on a happy face and welcomed my class before beginning the first lesson of music. For the most part I had a pretty well behaved class with the exception of a few students. They weren't mean or anything, they just were very talkative. I think I remember their names as being Ashley and Monique if I am not mistaken.

Before lunch, I made sure to turn the class over to my two aides. Being a mother, I wanted to go back to my desk and review all the allergies. Seeing what happen to Vanessa to her peanut allergy caused me to be more aware. As I flipped through each child's information, I tried my best to memorize their name with the picture on each page. I am determined to learn everyone's name by the end of the day. I was glad to see none of my kids had any food allergies to worry about; just the occasional seasonal and bee sting to worry about.

After helping the children take out the lunches and put straws in their juice boxes, I sat down at my desk and ate my lunch. It would probably be the only free moment I had other then when the children had gym. I relaxed enjoying a quiet moment. You see if it was one thing I was strict on it was lunch time or snack time. I made sure to tell the children the lunch time is quiet time. It is ok to talk quietly, but the last thing I need is for them to choke on their food because they forgot to chew or swallow due to talking.

"I'm sorry, but she won't eat. I have tried everything. He won't leave her side. I hope you don't mind if he stays here too." I shook my head and put my sandwich down. Miss Kristen had both of them holding her hand. Zac had his sandwich in his other hand and jelly all over his face. Under her arm I could see both their lunch boxes.

"Don't worry about it. Thanks." She set the lunchboxes on my desk before bringing the two over to me. "Zac I think you remember Ashley from last year, right?" He nodded and smiled. This boy was surely a ladies man. "You can sit with her while you finish your lunch." I handed him the rest of his food before he ran away. I was silently thankful that he left Vanessa's side. I needed a moment with her.

"Come here babe." I lifted her into my arms and rested her against my shoulder. She made no attempt to hang onto me, her head rested on my shoulder. I felt her body relax against mine.

"Does your belly hurt?" I leaned back in my chair and opened her lunchbox with my free hand. "No hurt." I heard her soft voice.

"Maybe you should try to get her to eat something. I'm sure her mother wouldn't want her missing lunch." My aid, Miss Amanda said. I looked at her and smiled. I had yet to tell them that she was actually my daughter. Partly because I didn't want her to be treated any differently and partly because I didn't want them to think I was giving her special treatment.

Truth be told if one of my children wasn't eating I would react the same way. "I have a feeling she won't mind." I told her as I rubbed Vanessa's back.

"Oh you know her? Is that why her teacher handed her off to you?" I looked at my daughter who was trying not to fall asleep, before looking back at the two women in front of me. The truth was bound to come out at some point. Vanessa no doubt would be the one to share it. I also didn't want to get off on a rocky start with my helpers. I turned an unhappy Vanessa around on my lap so she was facing them.

"Mama noooo!" She arched her back and raised her hands to me, trying to twist around in my arms. The two teachers looked at each other like a deer caught in headlights.

"I think that is wonderful. You are such a devoted mother. She seems like she has a real attachment with you." The teacher to my right quickly composed herself. The other one just smiled politely. I wasn't sure how she was taking it, but I soon decided that it didn't matter. Just because she didn't like it, doesn't mean that it is going to stop me from teaching at this school. I am doing nothing wrong.

"Yea, she is like that with everyone she meets and sees frequently. Just last week she hugged the mailman." I chuckled thinking about that time.

We don't have a normal mailbox where it sits on the front of our lawn. We have a box connected to our house. Vanessa always finds enjoyment watching from the window until she sees that little white truck. That's when she hollers for one of us to open the door. The mailman will proceed to have a conversation with her about nonsense and she then hugs him when he gives her the mail. It is very cute to see actually.

I turned Vanessa back around. She rubbed her eyes before whimpering. "No sleep like this." I glanced at the clock and sure enough it was 12:40. Due to the fact that Vanessa is normally an early riser all of her meals get pushed up. This means that at about 11:40 she gets hungry. By 12:40 she is usually done with lunch and taking her nap with me. This gives me a chance to relax and not worry about anything.

Right now, all Vanessa wanted to go was cuddle up to me and find her special place before drifting off to sleep. She probably was exhausted by now. I made a note to talk to try about this and try to get her on the correct schedule for school. It wasn't her fault this time. It was ours. She was just following the same schedule she has been for the last 3 years.

"Baby doll, you can't sleep like that in school. I promise that once we go home we will take a nap. Are you hungry?" I whispered in her ear so only she could hear it. The two aides went back to eating their lunches.

"No hungyyyy! I go sleepys." I sighed and closed up her lunch box. Looking at my class I could see that they were finishing up with their lunches. Zac had moved on to making friends with the rest of the children at Ashley's table.

"I will be right back. I am just going to take them back to their teacher." I told my aides. After adjusting Vanessa on my hip I walked over to Zac. He looked up at me and smiled.

"Miss Gabiella. Is Vanessa all betta?" I watched him zipper his lunch box before pushing in his chair. He grabbed my hand as we walked out of the classroom.

"She is fine. Just tired." Peeking into the classroom I watched as the children got out their nap time mats and laid them on the ground as best as they could. The teacher of course was going around the room to fix them.

"Why don't you go get your mat set up, Zac. Vanessa will be over there in a minute." He nodded and ran over to his cubby before dragging his mat and blanket to an empty spot. I noticed that he made sure another one could fit next to him. He even made the effort to as one of the boys to move over. After waiting a good minute I caught the attention of Vanessa's teacher.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hand her off to you, but I had no choice. I didn't know what else to do." I shook my head as she apologized profusely to me. I could tell she was embarrassed.

"Please don't apologize. This is mine and Troy's fault."

"How is it your fault?" She now sported a confused look. I began all over with the story about Vanessa's schedule and how once you break that, then you end up with not only a girl who doesn't know what she is doing, but a girl who is going to be extremely difficult to deal with, not to mention cranky. I also assured her that we were going to fix this as soon as possible.

Before I left both Kristen and I worked out a plan. After naptime the children usually had free time before gym. She was going to allow Vanessa to eat her lunch then until had Vanessa on the right routine. I handed a sleeping Vanessa off to her before returning to my own classroom. I smiled upon walking in. The kids were fast asleep on their mats. I went around the room cleaning the crumbs off the table and thinking about only one thing-how my daughter and fiancé were doing.

**Troy's POV:**

Every free moment I had, I would glance at the clock. Truth be told I couldn't wait until I saw my girls. It would most definitely be the highlight of my day. Don't get me wrong, I really like my new job, it's just that I haven't played basket ball in a long time.

A couple years back I swore that I would never pick up a ball again. I guess I didn't realize how much I would miss it. I missed hearing the ball make a swooshing noise as it traveled through the net. I missed performing all the tricks my dad taught me as I dribbled the ball. I missed the screaming fans and the buzzer noise. Most importantly, I missed the adrenalin rush it gave me as I ran around the court. I felt like nothing could touch me – no one could bring me down.

The love of the game was part of the most important thing for my father. The other was numbers. He loved them. He counted the seconds until the buzzer rang. He made sure I was number one – the best I could be even if it was only in his mind. If you asked me my real number, it wouldn't be number one. It would be fourteen. Fourteen is the number I lived by for the duration of my short high school basketball career. Three seconds until my father accepted the fact that the number fourteen actually meant number one in his eyes. The number fourteen was the same number he was given in high school. I then realized that to him, number fourteen was the best number I could have because it was his.

My father was a great man. He could tell you how many fouls there were at each game. He could tell you the score. He ran numbers with the team every day – plays that is. He would say, "Give me play seven." We would because as much as these numbers influenced his life, he made sure they influenced ours as well. We knew those numbers just like we knew each other; we were family. Those numbers protected us. Those numbers helped us win the championship game of my freshman year. My father could tell you stories of when he was little and how six generations played basketball. He could tell worthless numbers like the fact that there are nine million three hundred forty-two thousand fifty-nine bumps, or pebbling on a basketball.

These numbers are the ones he lived by. These numbers kept the game interesting. These numbers define who he was, a man of statistics. A man who had love for the game and love for his team. A man who at times threw these numbers out the window because in the end the numbers are what killed him. Now ask me my number and I will tell you 14. Ask me his? I would tell you 12.26.08. Why? Because that was the last number he ever learned.

**I was going to make this longer, but I just had to end this here. I fell in love with the last part I wrote. I know – I am weird you don't need to tell me **** Anyway. I apologize for taking so much time to write this. Please leave suggestions for what you want in the next chapter. If you are interested in knowing what I have in store for next chapter email me. Also, on my page I have my progress on the chapters I am writing. Look there if you want to know how far along I am in writing the next chapter of a story. You're reviews make my day. Thank you so much for supporting this story. **

**Don't forget to check out my C2 it has a lot of wonderful stories in there to keep you occupied until the next chapter comes out. I do not add stories unless they meet my standards (which are pretty high). That is why there are only 40 something stories there. Enjoy! Ok I promise I am done now.**


	41. Chapter 41

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov:**

I sat in my office, working on some paperwork during my off period. From inside my four wall cubical I could hear the two other gym teachers blowing their whistle, telling the children to not bounce the ball while they were talking.

Secretly, I sympathize with them. As a kid I had trouble doing that too. I was always the last one to stop playing, or the last one shooting a basket. When I was home, my parents always scolded me for staying up too late. I was too busy playing in our mini basketball court in my backyard.

As I placed my pencil down, I leaned back in my chair, sneaking a glance at the digital clock on my desk. How long until I see both my girls? Honestly, this would be the highlight of my day. I couldn't wait.

Groaning, I fished around in my pocket for my slim flip up phone after feeling it buzz. As I flipped it open I could hear the gym teachers wrapping up the class. I could also hear the fifth graders groan knowing that they would have to go back to learning.

My heart skipped a beat as I read the name of the person who had texted me. I instantly became worried. Why would Gabriella text me? Isn't she teaching?

_From Gabriella: _

_Troy, Remind me that we need to talk tonight. We have a slight problem. I will not be with my class today at gym. Love you 3 _

Nothing good can come from this talk with a sentence like that_. _I looked up as the two gym teachers came into the room, neither one of them was paying any attention to me though. Both grabbed a water bottle out of the mini fridge before sitting down at their desks.

_To Gabriella_:

_What happened? Is everything ok with us? Babe, you gotta give me more information. Is Vanessa ok?_

I hastily typed the words trying to figure out what was going on. I took my whistle off and put it in my drawer before standing up. One of the other gym teachers advised me as soon as I walked in not to wear it around the preschool class. Apparently either they cry from the loud noise, pull on it, or ever try to blow it themselves.

My phone buzzed for a second time, once again making my heart skip a beat.

_From Gabriella: _

_Everything is fine with us. Just something that happened with Vanessa and her teacher. Nothing to worry about. I do not want her to see me again until school is over._

I re-read the text at least four times before shutting my phone for good. She wrote 'again' that means that she already saw her. I wanted to know so badly what happened. I was ready to leave the gym and find both of them. Knowing that they were both okay would make me relax and feel a lot better.

The other two physical education teachers followed me into the gym anticipating the arrival of the preschool children. They filed in one by one. I was only looking for one child though –mine. It may sound selfish, but I needed to make sure she was safe. I needed to make sure she was as fine as Gabriella said she was.

"Ok do you all see the green line? I want you to find a spot on the green line and face us." Coach John said to them. The aides and teachers helped all the children follow the directions while we waiting patiently.

My eyes were fixed on my daughter. I could tell from just one glance that she wasn't okay. She wasn't happy. Zac stood by her side and held her hand.

I felt like I froze. The world was turning around me. The world continued, but I remained in the same position. My daughter was the only thing I saw. The rest blurred into my vision. She stuck her small thumb in her mouth and looked up at her teacher, Miss Kristen. She stood right behind Vanessa and that worried me. Why would the teacher pick that spot if something wasn't wrong with Vanessa? Why would she feel the need to pay extra attention to Vanessa if everything was fine?

Coach John, was splitting the classes into three groups. Each group had about ten children. The other gym teacher, Coach Tom handed them each a miniature basketball.

I watched my daughter look at it before placing it on the floor. Miss Kristen was picking up the ball and handing it to her in a matter of seconds. Vanessa then tried to hand it to her. I was in a daze as I tried to figure out what my daughter was feeling. She still had yet to notice me.

Before I knew it, each gym teacher had taken a group over to one of the four basketball hoops. It killed me to see that my daughter was not in my group. Shaking my head, I continued on with what I had to do. My group of kids were pretty good at basketball.

Half way through the class, each child was able to score at least five baskets. I looked around at the other groups to see if they were doing as well as mine were. I guess I just got a lucky.

Before my head turned back to my group, it whipped around the room again. I carefully looked at each child, I didn't see mine. My heart sped up. I looked to her teacher only to find her playing with some of the children in Coach John's group. What confused me was that the John was clearly not with the group.

My eyes scanned the room until they landed on the far right corner of the gym. I could see Coach John trying to pull her into a standing position. Vanessa was having none of it. I watched as Vanessa struggled to get away from him. The moment the back of her hand went to her face to wipe the tears that were streaming down, I rushed over to Tom.

"Hey, can you do me a big favor and watch my group for me? I want to check out the situation with John." He nodded his head before directing his group of children over to mine.

"There is always one who doesn't want to do anything. I was over there before. Sometimes you just have to leave them alone and soon enough they realize they aren't getting any attention by sitting out. They'll want to play eventually." I shook my head in disagreement.

"You never know. She may not feel well." I didn't wait for his response and to tell you the truth, I could care less what he had to say. Right now I was focused on one thing – my daughter.

As I approached the two, John looked at me. "She's just having a princess moment. The kid's probably never heard the word 'no' before. She is too good to play in gym class." I knew I couldn't start a fight with him. I had to work with this bastard the whole rest of the year. Plus if I had hit him, I'm sure I wouldn't have a job for long.

"You don't know what her situation at home is like or you never know if something is wrong. Next time try talking to her." My fists balled up against my pant leg as I tried to keep my cool. Looking down at my daughter was a painful sight to see. She was curled up on the ground facing the wall. My heart broke.

"She is fine. This happens all the time." Before I could pull him back he bent down to pick her up, scaring her in the process. Vanessa shook and let out a sob. John immediately put her down.

I crouched down in front of her. "I'll take over. Can you help Tom with my group?"

Lifting her small chin with my index finger, I wiped her cascading tears before holding out my arms to her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. She is just going to start screaming again." I looked up at him and shook my head.

"I'll take my chances." I mumbled as Vanessa held her arms up while leaning towards me. In one smooth motion I lifted her into my arms and stood up. I kissed her temple before turning around. John looked at me with a questioning look.

"How did you do that?" He folded his arms over his chest and looked at Vanessa who was gripping onto my shirt for dear life.

"Sometime you just have to get down on their level and show them some love. You can't just scare them like that. Think about it, she wasn't facing you and all of a sudden someone grabs her." John didn't have a response. He just shrugged his shoulders and walked away.

"Plus it doesn't hurt that I am your daddy. " I chuckled as I whispered in her ear. Vanessa responded by snuggling into my chest; no doubt leaving droplets of tears and snot. At this point, I didn't care. It was my last class.

As soon as I got Miss. Kristen's attention, I motioned with my hand that I was taking Vanessa into my office. She of course, being well aware of our situation, nodded her head profusely.

Bringing her in my office I sat down at my desk with her on my lap. "What happened baby doll?" I leaned over to get a tissue while holding my water bottle up to her lips so she could attempt to stop crying. After whipping both her tears and nose, I laid her against my shoulder.

"No pway. Go home!" Her tiny arms wrapped around my neck. I wasn't going to let her go back into the gym until she told me everything that was bothering her.

"Why don't you want to play basketball? You love it." Her crying had ceased and if it wasn't for her uneven breathing I would have thought she fell asleep.

"Daddy not here. No pway." She dug her head into my neck as I rubbed her back. It was then that I realized she was going through the same this I went through. I wasn't going to let her quit something she loved.

"Every minute Daddy is watching down from heaven. It would make him so happy to see you playing basketball." I set her down on my desk so I could see her face.

"Weally? Me miss daddy. Him's fun." She looked down and sniffled. Settling her back into my arms, I pulled down her t-shirt that was riding up with my free hand. Wait a minute. T-shirt? I looked down at her attire. Vanessa no longer sported her light yellow cotton dress. She now wore a white t-shirt with black velour sweat pants.

"I know your sad baby." I whispered as I pulled out my phone. I then proceeded to text Gabi to come to my office. School was nearly over.

"Ok next question. What happened to your pretty dress?" She looked up at me with a guilty look. This can't be good.

She cupped her small hands around my ear and proceeded to 'whisper', "Potty in unnapants at nap time." I threw my head back and scrunched up my face. It wasn't that I was mad, it's just that it seems like everything bad that could happen is happening on her first day.

"Vanny remember what we talked about? You have to tell Miss. Kristen. You know to go before nap time." She stuck out her bottom lip and looked up at me. I could have melted right there.

"I felled asweep! I sorry Daddy." I kissed her forehead while telling her that it's okay and that accidents happen. I could tell from her face that she was embarrassed.

"Now, why did you see Mommy today?"

"Me bad girl. No eat with Zac." I vaguely heard the two gym teachers walk into the room.

"Troy, you can let her go. Her mother is probably waiting for her. Plus you might get arrested for holding her like that." I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Turning around in my chair, I responded to Tom's ignorant statement.

"No, her mother isn't here yet. She is a staff child." Both coaches gave me questioning looks. "Who's kid?" I watched as the two started packing up their belongings. I'm sure they were ready to go home to their families.

"Sorry I'm late, one of the girl's mom's came a little late." Gabriella walked into the room. She walked over to me and ran her fingers through my hair. I held in a moan as she massaged my head. My eyes closed for a minute as I enjoyed the moment of relaxation.

"Hey babe." She leaned down to kiss me before taking Vanessa in her arms. I looked back at the two coaches, suddenly remembering that they were in the room and witnessing all of this. They both had their jaws down to the floor. Clearly they were embarrassed about what had happened between them and my daughter.

"Ready to go?" Gabriella asked me. I nodded my head before standing up. After saying a quick goodbye to my coworkers, the three of us left the school.

**Gabriella's Pov: **

The car ride home was much different than this morning. As soon as we were all buckled, Troy starting rattling off questions.

"What do we need to talk about?" He said as he threw the car into reverse. I never should have said anything during school. I should have waited until we got home and Vanessa was in bed.

"We just need to figure out how to adjust her schedule. Kristen brought her in to me today because she couldn't get her to eat lunch. Meanwhile it is an hour past her lunch time and she is falling asleep. Vanessa didn't speak up and tell her she was hungry. The time they eat is the time she takes her nap. So she had to eat by herself today after everyone napped." I looked in the rearview mirror.

The only thing keeping her head up was her seat belt strap. I could tell she was fighting to stay awake. I felt so bad for her.

"You're right; we need to find a way to fix that. She sat at a table alone? That's terrible. Did you know she had an accident today?" Troy spoke in a tired voice. I could tell so many thoughts were running through his mind.

Nodding my head, I answered him. "Well thankfully Zac stayed with her. Yeah, I forgot to give Kristen an extra pair of clothes. Luckily I had some in my bag. Vanessa was so embarrassed though. You should have seen her face; she wouldn't even look me in the eye." Troy pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine.

"What a great first day huh." I nodded and unbuckled Vanessa. From the transfer into my arms she woke up. By the look of her face, she was not happy. We walked into the house and placed our bags down. Vanessa leaned against my shoulder.

Kissing her forehead, I whispered in her ear. "Want to go upstairs and take a bath in the big tub with Mommy?" Vanessa never seemed to grasp the word of Jacuzzi so we settled for big tub. I watched as Vanessa rubbed her eye before sticking her thumb in her mouth and nodding her head. I looked over at Troy, who was having a conversation with Martin, before walking upstairs.

"Vanny look at me." I set her on the bathroom sink counter and moved her chin up.

"What happened today was not your fault. No one is mad at you, Princess." I told her as I removed the clip from her hair. After taking her shirt off I stood her up on the counter to take her pants off.

"No mow Pweschool?" She looked up at me with her big brown eyes as I set her on the floor. Starting the Jacuzzi, I shook my head.

"Sorry babe, but I promise next week is going to be so much better. You just have to get through this week." I unzipped my dress, letting it drop to the floor. Before picking her up I had her use the bathroom just incase she fell asleep. Dipping my hand in the water I made sure it was the right temperature before picking Vanessa up.

My body relaxed as soon as the water hit my aching muscles. "Tilt your head back." I Supported Vanessa's body as she got her hair wet.

"No hair wash." Although Vanessa may complain about doing something, she always seems to follow whatever she was told. She couldn't even be considered a rebel if she wanted to. After putting some bubble bath in the water, I washed Vanessa's hair.

"Almost done." I smiled as her face scrunched up when I rinsed her hair. As I settled her into my arms, she curled herself up against me, finding her special place. Her arms reached up and settled it on my hair, gently tugging it.

With my free hand, I reached up and untied the hair tie from it. My curls cascading down my shoulder. I made sure however, that they weren't in Vanessa's eyes. As she closed her eyes, she twirled a strand of my hair around her finger. Just as her thumb found its way into her mouth, I heard a knock on the door.

Looking up I saw Troy peeking his head in. I smiled at him and motioned with my head for him to come in. He came in silently, closing the door behind him. "She asleep?" He asked as he placed a kiss on the back of my neck. I shook my head no and stroked her cheek with the back of my hand.

He reached his hand towards Vanessa's hand. "Don't." I pushed his hand away and continued to stroke her cheek and run my fingers through her hair. "Babe we shouldn't be encouraging her thumb sucking." He sighed and sat down on the bathroom sink counter.

"I know, it's just after everything that's happened today, she deserves some enjoyment. Plus she will be asleep in a matter of seconds and her thumb will fall from her mouth." I looked up at him with pleading eyes. Truth be told I didn't want to disturb Vanessa's moment of finally having some peace.

He shook his head and smiled. "Vanessa had a melt down in the gym today." I knew something was bothering him. He is always quieter when he is thinking or needs to say something. I sighed, I didn't want to hear what he was about to say. I didn't want anymore bad news.

Looking him in the eye, I waited for him to talk. He proceeded to tell me what happened in the gym. I not only felt fury for what Vanessa had to go through, but I was very upset with how the other two gym teachers handled it.

"So you're telling me, if it wasn't for the two gym teachers then Vanessa wouldn't have cried?" I felt like going down to school to tell them off. They had no right to do that.

"She was just sitting down quietly waiting for it to be over. I mean, she was so good." One look at my daughter's innocent face and all anger left my body. I could both hear and feel her even breaths. Sure enough my theory was right, her mouth was open slightly and her thumb fell from her mouth.

"Can you get me a towel, Boo?"

He opened the forest green towel on the counter and held it out to me. As motionless as I could, I stood up and wrapped it around Vanessa's small body. She gave a small whimper and shook as a chill ran through her body. Vanessa snuggled closer to me as I walked out of the room. I felt Troy wrap another towel around my shoulders.

Getting both of us dressed was difficult task, but with much struggle, I was able to get us both in over sized t-shirts. She looked how I felt – exhausted! I gave a yawn, suddenly becoming jealous of Vanessa's peaceful moment.

"Let me just put her down and then we can talk about today and what we are going to do." I pulled down Vanessa's covers and turned on her princess night light.

"Babe come here." I looked up at Troy who was. His arms were open and with his head, motioned me to come to him. I couldn't help it. I walked blindly to his inviting arms.

He placed his hands on both sides of my face and gently stroked my chin with his right thumb. I subconsciously leaned in, wanting to savor this moment forever. Over the past couple of weeks, we hadn't had a lot of them. He kissed my forehead about five times before talking, but I was already in a trance.

This small amount of affection I had missed so much. Sure we cuddle in bed at night, and share moments here and there throughout the day, but I missed the spontaneity of our relationship. I missed the way he would grab me out of know where just to cuddle on his lap and watch a movie. We were started to lose that part of our relationship, and I wasn't ready to let it go.

**Troy's Pov: **

"Baby girl, you are exhausted. Today couldn't have been easy for you. Why don't you go in our room and lay down with her. We will settle everything later." I kissed her forehead one last time before dropping my hands.

I watched her face. She slightly frowned before gaining composure and nodding. She started to walk away but I held her back. Something wasn't right.

"Hey, Hey, Talk to me. What's going on?" I watched as she tried to blink back the tears that were soon to come.

"Can you join us?" Her voice was small and timid, almost as if she was afraid of my answer, or worse me. I looked at her for a minute, silently searching her face for some indication of an answer. Gabriella nodded her head and looked at the floor.

"Lead the way." She lifted her head and gave me a small smile.

Putting my hand on her lower back, she started to walk. Pulling down our comforter, I watched as she motionlessly placed Vanessa on the right side of the bed before laying down next to her. Vanessa tossed and turned until she found the warmth of her mother.

"You're staying aren't you?" I snapped out of my trance and took off my shoes. Laying down I pulled the covers over me before turning on my side. I wanted to keep a distance from Gabriella. I hated intruding on their time together. I know how much Gabriella enjoyed the time she spent with Vanessa during their daily nap. I didn't want to get in the middle of that.

I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I heard a shift in the bed – probably Vanessa tossing and turning again. My thoughts were interrupted when I felt Gabriella's body press against mine. Opening my eyes I smiled and the scene. Gabriella hand reach back for mine, before pulling it around her.

"What's going on?" I whispered in her ear before kissing the back of her neck. She didn't respond, which made sleep overcome my body a lot harder than usual. An hour later and I could tell Gabriella was still awake too.

I placed a kiss on her shoulder before getting out of bed and walking downstairs. "Hey Martin what's for dinner?" I took a seat on at the counter after getting a glass of water.

Shadow came prancing over to me, putting both paws on my leg. She had become very good friends with Martin. Probably because when ever he makes us something to eat, he feeds Shadow some too. I picked her up, cuddling her to my chest. She nuzzled her nose against my cheek before licking me. Patting her head, I gently scratched behind her ear. We had been so busy these passed few days; I hadn't had a lot of time to spend with her.

"I thought I would make Mac and Cheese for Vanessa and I have some grilled chicken and vegetables for you and Gabriella. Which reminds me, where is everyone?" Martin was right, during the hour, usually Vanessa would be running around the house chasing Shadow or Shadow would be chasing her. Laughter would fill the house until supper time, when everything would eventually calm down.

"She is upstairs sleeping with Gabi." I took a sip of my water before shaking my glass. I watched as the water swirled around the cup.

"And why aren't you up there, Troy?" After setting Shadow down, I poured the remains of my water into his half full water bowl.

"I couldn't sleep. I have a lot of things going through my mind right now, but I should be. You're right." I started walking to the door.

"It will get better." Martin's voice was low as he stopped me in my tracks. My eyes met his before I shook my head in defeat.

"When?" I asked him before turning around and ascending up the stairs. When is everything going to get better?

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I look forward to reading your input on what you guys want to see in the next chapter. I am also thinking that this story should come to a close soon. Please leave your comments about it. I am torn at what to do and like most have fell in love with the story. Thanks for reading!**


	42. Chapter 42

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

**Troy's Pov: **

Stepping into the steaming shower, I let the water, scald my tired body. I watched as the soap ran off my arms before gathering into the drain. Tears mixed with water dripped down my cheeks as my hands cupped my face. My shoulders heaved up and down as I silently sobbed.

What was happening to my perfect life? It was crumbling right before my eyes. Being thrown into adulthood is no walk in the park. I had no idea how I was going to help my daughter and on top of that, Gabriella is not being herself. Since when is she afraid to talk to me?

The moment she asked me to come to bed with her, I saw an expression that I had never been faced with before. It was almost as if she was getting ready to face disappointment from me- almost as if she was afraid of me. Did I give her any reason to feel that way?

Lifting my face to the water, I relaxed for a moment under the heat. I had to find a way to solve this – just had to. Taking a deep breath, I wiped my tears before shutting the water off. I quickly dried my hair with the towel before drying my body. Looking around I realize I had forgotten my clothes.

Sighing, I poked my head out the door. Both my girls were safely tucked into bed. Gabriella though, still wasn't asleep – that much was obvious even from across the room.

Even if she tried, she couldn't fake sleeping around me. Wrapping the towel around my waist, I quietly walked to my dresser and pulled out a white t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants. Dropping my towel I quickly slipped on my clothes before turning around.

Gabriella lay motionless under the comforter with her eyes closed. Walking over to them, I leaned over the bed. "Gab, dinners ready." Her eyes fluttered open.

If she really was asleep, then she wouldn't have heard me. She can't fool me with whatever she is trying to. It is killing me to see something bothering her.

I watched her stretch before rolling over to face Vanessa. "I got her. It's okay." Gabriella's tired voice said. She put an arm around Vanessa before looking at me.

"Uh yeah. I'll just go see if Martin needs help." Gabriella didn't look at me again.

Instead, I stood around for an extra minute watching Gabriella coax Vanessa from her sleep. The back of her hand gently rubbed the three-year-olds face. I heard Gabriella speak softly to her; however it was too low for my ears.

Slowly but surely Vanessa's small body moved. Her fists rubbed her eyes and they adjusted to her surroundings. Snapping out of my trance, I walked out of the room and downstairs my mind of only one person – my Gabi.

**Gabriella's Pov: **

Getting out of the bed, I slipped on some sweatpants that were hanging over the desk chair before setting Vanessa on the floor. "Do you need to go potty?" She shook her head and started to walk out of the room.

"Ok follow daddy downstairs. I will come down in a minute." I watched her walk out of the room before I went into the bathroom.

After running a brush through my hair, I splashed my face with cool water, in attempt to wake myself up a little bit. Before leaving my room, I grabbed Vanessa's sweatpants off the dresser.

"Vanessa Hudgens, get down from there. What do you think your doing?" I scolded my daughter as she tried to climb on the safety gate. There was no way her short stature would succeed, but she still had to know she couldn't do that. Vanessa looked up at me with her big brown eyes and pouted her lip.

Sitting down in front of her, I pulled her into my lap. "Daddy forgetted me. No open gate." I kissed her curls while putting her pants on.

"Yeah, Daddy forgot me too. No climbing on the gate. You could have hurt yourself." I whispered to her. Standing up, I settled her onto my hip before walking downstairs.

"Me sowwy. No do again." Her tiny arms wrapped around my neck making me melt in an instant. I gently rubbed her back before settling Vanessa into her chair.

Martin placed her bowl of macaroni and cheese in front of her before giving Troy and me a plate of chicken and vegetables. I wasn't in the slightest bit hungry, and I found myself pushing my food around my plate more than eating it.

I don't know whether it was the fact that I was sick to my stomach about what was happening to me and Troy or the fact that I was physically drained from the day I had. I knew that last thing I wanted to do was finish the big plate of food that was put in front of me.

Only about five pieces of chicken made its way to my mouth before I pushed the plate away and stood up. "Thank you Martin, but I'm just not hungry. I think I will lie down for a few hours before Vanessa goes to bed. I'll see you later." Without looking at either Troy or Vanessa, I left to room and proceeded upstairs. I had a lot of thoughts swirling through my head and the last thing I wanted was an uncomfortable silent dinner.

Pulling out my cell phone, I began to dial a familiar number. As I waited for an answer I sat on bed and pulled the covers up to my chin.

"I was waiting for a call from you. What, you have a family and don't need your mother anymore?" I smiled through my tears and at mother's joking voice. She always knew how to put a smile on my face.

"Hi Mami. It's been so hectic here. I'm sorry." Leaning back again the headboard of the bed, I stretched my legs out.

"What's going on baby? You don't sound like yourself. Are you resting?" I playfully rolled my eyes at my over-protective mother's questions. After that little scare before, she insists on checking up on me every couple of days. . . through Troy. Without fail, every two nights at 7pm my mother would call Troy's cell to get an update of how I am doing.

"Troy and Vanessa are fine. Vanessa had a rough day today, but I'm sure that it will get better in a few days." I heard silence on the phone for a couple of seconds.

"Mija, not that I don't care about how my little granddaughter is doing, but that wasn't the question I asked. I want to know how you are doing." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Troy come into the room with Vanessa in his arms.

"I'll talk to you later." Without even a goodbye, I hung up the phone. Though I was an adult, I knew in the back of my mind that I would be scolded for that later. Hanging up on a parent is never a good thing to do. My attention turned to the two people in the doorway.

"You didn't have to hang up the phone; we just came up here to see if you wanted to join us for a movie." I smiled at Vanessa as she nodded her head eagerly, agreeing with what Troy had just said.

I glanced at the clock on the dresser. It was only 5:44 – enough time for a movie. I didn't want Vanessa to be tired tomorrow. I sighed getting out of bed. My cold feet slipped into the fury slippers next to the bed before I walked over to the dresser to get a pair of warm socks.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Troy place Vanessa on our bed. As I sat down on the edge of the bed Troy came over and kneeled in front of me. His hands cupped my face while slowly rubbing his thumb over my cheek.

"You feel okay, Baby Girl?" I instinctively leaned into his touch wanting to feel more of it. I gave into him so easily.

Like a child wanting to be held, I reached my arms out to him and wrapped them around his neck. My head buried into the crook of his neck, shielding myself from the outside world. I felt him carefully slide me off of the bed and into his lap. I curled up, fitting perfectly into his arms, desperately needing the comfort he was offering me.

He gently rocked us back and forth and I couldn't help but feel at ease. I couldn't help but feel loved. One of his hands tangled itself into my mess of curls massaging my head in the process. I felt like I was drifting away. The two of us sat silently on the floor. My mind went blank and my head no longer was able to support itself. I felt my body relax. My arms unclasped around his neck, and fell limply over his arms.

"Don't let me go." The last thing I remember saying before I gave into my drained body.

He was giving me what I wanted and needed right now– love. I needed to feel that closure. It was something I haven't felt in a while. That was what made me think we were drifting apart. It was bittersweet though. If I didn't reach out to him, would he have realized what I both wanted and needed?

At this point I was so far gone, I didn't care. He was holding me and I was happy. That much I knew. My only fear was that he didn't hear my last request. Somehow I thought that last request got mixed up and lost between my voice and thought because I never heard a confirmation come out of his lips. And then everything went black.

**Troy's Pov:**

It pained me to think about how much was bothering Gabriella. My heart broke into a million pieces as I held her close to me.

"Mommy sweeping?" I looked up at Vanessa who was making her way over to me on the bed. I nodded my head before turning to the door.

"Martin can you take Vanessa downstairs to watch a movie?" I tried my best to keep my voice at a whisper, desperately wanting to keep Gabriella from waking up.

"Go pick out a movie with Martin and if you're good, he might even give you ice cream." I watched as she excitedly ran to the edge of the bed before lifting her arms up to Martin. He nodded his head towards me and left the room. I smiled to myself. There was no doubt in my mind that Vanessa wasn't going to get ice cream. I can't think of one time where she has acted out or not listened.

The back of my hand rubbed Gabriella's chin. She moved her head slightly, pushing her head deeper into my chest. I didn't dare move in fear that any sort of movement would wake her.

Resting my head on top of hers, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. My heart dropped to my stomach. I no longer smelled the familiar strawberry smell. Instead, it was coconut. How many other things had changed without my noticing?

This was no way for anyone to sleep, especially a person who desperately needed it. It took some strength to stand up with her, but with a little struggle I managed to without waking her.

"She's falling asleep down there. Should I put Miss. Vanessa to bed?" Martin softly knocked on the door.

Turning around, I found Vanessa fast asleep on his shoulder. I was torn between my girls. As a father I had an obligation to care for my daughter; and as a fiancé I had an obligation to listen to Gabriella's wishes. She needed me right now – they both did.

I can't have Martin take over Vanessa. It wasn't his job to care for Vanessa too. He was the chef and right now, he was helping my on his time off. I would be back before Gabriella knew it. All I needed was ten minutes to have Vanessa go the bathroom, brush her teeth, and fall back to sleep.

"Martin you have done more than enough. If you just lay her on her bed, I'll be in there in a minute. Thank you for all you did tonight. Why don't you take the rest of the night off and day tomorrow?" Martin smiled and nodded his head before walking out of the room.

With my free hand, I pulled the comforter down before laying Gabriella down. Taking the forgotten socks off of the floor, I slipped them on her feet. I was just about to turn around when something caught my eye. I guess when I laid her down, her shirt had ridden up.

My hand flew to her left hip, tugging the waistband of her sweatpants down. Pushing her black lace underwear to the side, I saw something I had never seen before. Maybe it was because I wasn't looking for it, or maybe it was because it was new, but I knew for a fact that I had no idea.

On her left hip, tattooed in black ink was the letter T. It was small, but clearly visible. Running my thumb along the flat letter I couldn't help but let it linger there for a few seconds. I had so many questions running through my mind about this; I didn't know what I was feeling. It wasn't that I was angry; I just wish she would have told me. I wish I would have noticed.

After fixing both her sweatpants and shirt, I placed a kiss on her temple before walking out of the room. I practically ran to Vanessa's room in fear that if Gabriella woke up, she wouldn't find me with her.

"Baby Girl, wake up." As I lifted Vanessa into my arms, I gently rubbed her back while carrying her into the bathroom.

"Noo daddy. Wanna go sleepies." Setting her down, I helped her pulled her pants down so she could use the bathroom.

In the mean time, I took out her princess tooth brush and put a small amount of toothpaste on the brush. Turning around, I smiled. Vanessa was just about to fall asleep. Her head kept nodding forward. Taking a pull up out of the cabinet under the sink, I quickly slipped it on her, fully expecting an accident by the morning. For now, I would let it go. After pulling her pants up, I sat her on the bathroom counter.

"Peanut, I know you're tired, but just give me one more minute to brush your teeth." I felt bad waking her again, but it had to be done. She rubbed her tired eyes with her fist.

"Show me your teeth." Lucky for me, she yawned, giving my enough time to quickly brush her teeth.

"Alright, you're all done." I told her while wiping her mouth with a towel. She fell forward into my chest before reaching her hands up. Picking her up, I kissed her stomach before settling her onto my hip.

"Daddy no go to Pwe school. Stay wif you?" I heard her mumble against my shoulder. Sitting down in the rocking chair, I laid her down in my arms.

"You can't stay with me. Zac would miss you and you need to learn. It will get better everyday. I promise, Vanny." Her tiny thumb found its way into her mouth and for some reason I felt no urge to remove it.

Perhaps Gabriella was right, at this age what did it matter that she sucked her thumb? She got her comfort from it. I was finally seeing it though her eyes. Having your child close to you, makes you feel responsible for whatever they are feeling.

Right now, she needed that security. She needed to have arms wrapped around her as she fell asleep. She needed me. Both my girls did and I could only grant one of them the wish as a time. In this case, I prayed that I would hear Vanessa's even breaths sooner than usual due to how tired she is. I needed to get back to my first love.

Gently kicking off the ground, I rocked us back and forth. I prayed silently when I finally heard her soft even breaths. It didn't take long, but every minute that passed was a minute longer being away from Gabriella. This already was too long.

Quietly standing up, I pulled down her covers and placed her under them making sure that she was tucked in before I turned on her nightlight.

After kissing her forehead, I closed her door and walked back to my room. My heart dropped to my stomach. I froze at the doorway. Gabriella laid there, eyes open and tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

"You said you wouldn't leave me. You said you would stay. I expected you to stay. What happened?" Not once did she look me in the eye. She stared blankly at the wall. Closing the door behind me, I walked over to the bed and got in next to her. Gabriella rolled over, her back now facing me.

"Baby please, talk to me. What's bothering you?" My fingers found their way through her tangled curls.

"Why did you leave me?" She spoke in a soft tired voice. Sighing, I put my arm under the covers. My hand found its way to her thin t-shirt. Pushing it up, I placed my hand on her warm stomach. I caressed her soft skin with my fingertips.

"I had to put Vanessa to bed. I didn't expect you to wake up. I thought I would be back sooner than I was." Gently I played with her belly button right as I waited for an answer.

"You promise?" My hand froze along with my body. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Sitting up, I put my legs on either side of her and hovered over her body. My face was about two inches from her. She looked up at me fearfully.

"Do you really think I would lie to you?" All this insecurity from her was worrying me. Never in my life would I lie to her. It just wasn't who I am. It's not what are relationship is based on. She looked down before shrugging her shoulders.

"Alright, this thing that's going on with you is ending right now. Come here." I grabbed her hips with both my hands and lifted her on top of me. Gabriella traced imaginary patterns on my chest as I adjusted the covers around us.

"I'll give you five seconds before I get your phone and press the call back button. Last chance, Baby." Her fingers paused for a moment and her eyes met mine.

"I feel like we are drifting apart from each other." She whispered so softly I almost didn't hear it. I took this moment to hold her a little tighter.

"What makes you say that, Brie?" Kissing her cheek, I let my lips linger there for a few extra seconds. My hands traveled up her shirt, feeling her smooth back on my fingertips. She shrugged her shoulders for a second time.

"I guess I just don't feel loved, that's all. I know you love me, but I feel like we haven't had contact like we used to have. I miss that." She buried her face into my shoulder.

"Gabriella Montez, look at me." I grabbed her chin, raising it to my eye level.

"If you ever feel like you aren't loved or have a problem with anything I am doing, you come and tell me. I don't want to let it get this far again, Baby Doll." Gabriella sniffled before nodding her head.

"I'm sorry I just didn't know how to say it, and to me it seemed like I was being the annoying girlfriend who wanted all your attention. It's not like that Boo, I don't want to be the center of your attention, but I'd like to be a part of it. Our relationship before was so different. I guess we were a lot younger than and had practically no responsibilities, but I miss it. All we do now, is sleep in the same bed for a couple of hours at night, we are off to work in the morning and by the time we get home, Vanessa and I take a nap, we eat dinner and by then we are back to sleeping."

This is what I was waiting for. I was waiting for her to confess all that was bothering her. With every shudder of her body, I held her closer. She needed to know that I was here for good; she needed that reassurance that I wasn't going anywhere.

"Baby, I had no idea you felt this way. God I am such an idiot, I should have seen the signs you were giving me. It all makes sense now. Your neediness, the look you gave me when you asked me to lay down with you, how you suddenly seem to melt in my arms at every hug I give. I never want to see a look of betrayal in your eyes again. I'm so sorry Baby Girl. I really am." I wiped the few tears that escaped my eyes before returning my hand to the back of Gabriella's head.

"What changed? Was it something I said or did? Or are we really drifting apart. Is it true what everyone says…that no one really falls in love with their high school sweetheart forever?" She stopped to catch her breath. I swiped her tears away with my thumb before shaking my head.

"No. We are fine, trust me. We are more than fine. You and I are going to get through this. We are going to make time for each other, I promise. We will jump at every opportunity we get to make this work. And I am going to change, I promise. You my darling are the love of my life, you are the one who keeps me going everyday. From now on, though, you have to promise me one thing." She rested her head back against my shoulder, and wiped the last few tears that were cascading down her cheek.

"Promise me that you will tell me if you have a problem with anything, whether it is something I am doing or something that happened. Our relationship can only continue to progress if it's open. You were never afraid to tell me what was on your mind, why start now?" As gently as I could, I rolled her on her back and sat up. Pulling my shirt over my head, I tossed it across the room.

"I promise, T" She said quietly as I removed the socks from her feet. Leaning over, I kissed her lips before untying the strings on her sweatpants.

"T, what are you doing?" I tugged her oversized sweatpants off her hips before answering her.

"You and I are going into the Jacuzzi to wash away those tears of ours and relax. Just you and me, okay?" My fingers grabbed the hem of her shirt, waiting for her to comply. She smiled through her glassy eyes and nodded her head. Slowly, I pulled the shirt over her head. Standing up, I too took my sweatpants off, leaving me unclothed in the darkness of the room.

"Can you just lay with me for a few minutes? Maybe turn on the water too?" Kissing her forehead, I nodded and went into the bathroom.

As I turned on the water, I added a generous portion of strawberry bubble bath. She had received it as a gift last Christmas, but never got the chance to use it because usually Vanessa took baths with her. Before leaving the bathroom, I dimmed the light, neither one of us needed the bright lights on us. We only needed a sufficient amount of light to see each other.

"What if Vanessa wakes up?" I heard her ask me as I climbed back into bed. I shook my head, before pulling the covers over us.

"She's out for the night." I told her as I hooked my finger into her black lace panties before sliding them down.

"I do have some questions for you though." I said as I discarded the thin material onto the floor. I put my arm underneath her head allowing her to get comfortable while the other one rested on her hip.

"When did you get a tattoo?" I asked as I rubbed my thumb along the small "T". She shook her head and buried it into my shoulder blade.

"When did you find out?" She clasped her hand over mine before I linked hands with her.

"When I laid you down a couple of hours ago so I could put Vanessa to bed. You shirt rode up and your pants were barely hanging on your hips so I caught a glimpse of the little letter. You still didn't answer me by the way." Wrapping my arms around her, I let her body form to mine. I secretly loved to feeling of the skin on skin contact with her. She curled up in my arms before beginning to speak.

"It was right after I moved away with my mother. I knew deep down that I was yours and yours alone. Whether we were apart or together, I needed to have a piece of you with me. It was something that meant so much to me and I could have it without anyone else knowing what it meant. No one else needed to know. You're not mad, are you? Do you hate it?" Her brow furrowed and worry lines appeared on her face. Kissing her forehead in attempts to cease her fears, I pulled her closer.

"No. I love it." Using my thumb and forefinger, I raised her chin and placed a kiss on her lips.

"Next question. What happened to your shampoo?" She gave me a questioning look before glancing at the bathroom door.

"Oh, that! I ran out of shampoo a couple of days ago and haven't gotten the chance to go to the store. I found an extra bottle in the closet in the meantime." I nodded my head and kissed her one last time before detaching myself from her.

Standing up, I placed one arm under her knees and the other around her back, carrying her bridal style into the bathroom. Gently kicking the door closed behind me, I stepped into the steaming tub.

"Broke out my Christmas present I see." Gabriella smiled at me as I settled her on my lap. She leaned against my chest while I wrapped my arms around her.

"I'm sorry Baby Doll, but that coconut has got to go."

**Finally got another chapter out! It took me long enough! I hope you enjoyed this one and I look forward to hearing about your suggestions for next chapter. I will do my best to get the chapters out faster. Thank you for being so patient with me! PM me if you ever want to know the progress of the story, or just look at the profile page. Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!**


	43. Chapter 43

**What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?**

**Gabriella's POV:**

A cool breeze wisped throughout the room in the early hours of the morning. I shook as the slight chill traveled from my shoulders down to my toes. Pulling the covers over my head, I cuddled up to Troy. His arms encaged my shivering body as I pressed my cold feet to his legs. Last night's activities weren't on the schedule and to tell you the truth, I wasn't ready for the early morning wake-up call. Our spontaneous love making session took a toll on me. I cannot function off of four hours of sleep.

My alarm was going off, but I was too tired and cold to move and turn it off. "You'd think skin to skin contact would give you some sort of warmth." I faintly heard Troy mumble above the covers. I giggled and wove my arms around his torso. I felt him pull the covers down before kissing my head.

Troy reached over me to shut my annoying and unwanted alarm clock off. Sighing in contentment I relaxed in the quiet atmosphere. Butterfly's filled my stomach as Troy gently grazed the side of my face with the back of his hand. Closing my eyes, I wanted to savor this moment forever.

Rolling on top of him, I placed tiny kisses on his chest before lifting my head to meet his lips. Unfortunately, the moment was short-lived. I could hear my daughter start to cry. I sighed before rolling onto my back.

"Mama! Mama Come! Mama where's you? Mama Come!" Her tiny lungs cried for me.

My coldness seemed to disappear. I jumped out of bed and threw on my pajamas from last night. Troy too started getting dressed. I closed our bedroom door behind me before walking down the hallway. I could hear Vanessa gasping for air while hiccupping.

"Aw what's the matter baby doll?" Lifting her crying form from her bed, I wrapped my arms around her, settling her on my hip. Running my fingers through her hair, I settled myself into the rocking chair in the corner of her room.

"No go pweschool!" She said as her little fingers played with my engagement ring. I shook my head. I didn't need this right now. I didn't want to deal with another horrible day.

"You are going to school. I promise you, it will get better. You have to tell Miss. Kristen when you hungry or tired or need to go to the bathroom, okay?" I watched as she rubbed her eye with her fist before nodding reluctantly. Standing up, I set her on her feet before going into her closet.

"Vanny what do you want to wear today?" I spoke loudly so she could hear me. Turning to the door, I saw her poke her head in before running to me and raising her hands. "My baffing suit and um my tutu." She giggled as I picked her up. Shaking my head, I tickled her stomach. I should have known better than to ask the three year old what she wanted to wear.

"Nice try, but it's a little too cold for a bathing suit. How about a black long sleeve shirt and your purple sweatpants?" I pulled them off the hanger and held them out to her. "Otay, I like dat." I quickly changed Vanessa into her outfit before placing a butterfly clip in her hair.

"Where daddy?" Vanessa looked up at me while sticking her thumb in her mouth. Helping her off the bed, I took her small hand in mine and walked out of the room.

"Let's go find him." I softly knocked on our bedroom door, wanting to make sure that Troy was dressed before we went in. Troy was towel drying his hair, fully dressed and ready for work – the complete opposite of me. Vanessa's eye lit up at the sight of Troy. I knew he held a special place in her heart. It was obvious.

"Daddy, mommy say I haf to go pweschool." I shook my head at my daughter trying to play one parent against the other. Her teenage trends are starting too young. She shouldn't even know how to play one parent against the other at this age.

"Oh she did, did she?" Troy smirked at me before winking. I rolled my eyes playfully, watching the scene unfold before me. Vanessa nodded her head to Troy.

"But me want to stay wif you. Me loves you. Yous my friend." I smirked as she wrapped her tiny arms around one of his legs. I have to admit, that was very well-played. The real test is Troy's reaction, though. One look at that innocent face and I am sure he will cave.

"I agree with mommy. You are going to school. Don't pull that face on me, it won't work, Princess." I watched amused as Vanessa stuck her bottom lip out in a pout.

Troy tossed his towel into the hamper before walking over to me. He held his arms out, pulling me to his chest by my hips. I felt him kiss my neck before resting his head on my shoulder. "You go take a shower and get yourself ready. I'll go downstairs and watch TV with our preschool drop-out." Yawning, I nodded my head and walked into the bathroom.

"Don't forget to pack an extra pair of clothes for Vanessa. Kristen needs to keep it in her classroom." I yelled to Troy before closing the door. I didn't wait for a response. I knew he heard me. I didn't have much time so I took a quick shower and applied minimal make-up. After slipping on a dress I found some matching shoes. My hair would just have to air-dry today. I couldn't be bothered with it. It was the least of my worries.

Glancing at the clock I noticed we should have been leaving the house by now. Grabbing my purse off the dresser, I left the room. Walking down the stairs, I couldn't help but smile at the scene before me. Troy was sitting on the couch with Shadow on his lap and Vanessa leaning against his side. Vanessa was intently focused on what looked to be The Wiggles.

"Did she eat?" I said as I walked into the kitchen to grab an apple and water for myself. "No. I packed some cheerios for her. I figured if we push her breakfast to a later time we could get her to eat lunch later. Let's just try this for today." I nodded my head and began to take the bread out of the bread box.

"I made lunches." I turned around to find two paper bagged lunches and a princess lunch box sitting on the kitchen table. Our names were even on them.

"Did I tell you I love you today?" I grabbed them and put them in my bag. "I don't believe so." He said playfully. Giving him a kiss on his cheek, I grabbed his hand.

"Alright, let's go!" Vanessa came running over to Troy who lifted her in the air. The ride to school was uneventful other than missing every light possible. Life was against us, I was sure of it. Troy quickly pulled into his designated parking spot before throwing the car into park.

"Oh good. We're not the only one's who have trouble getting to school on time." As I was unbuckling Vanessa, I heard a familiar voice.

"Hey Starla! It's a battle to get everyone out of the house." I chuckled while setting Vanessa on her feet to greet Zac.

"I'll take her you two run and meet your students!" I felt nervous when Starla said this. Looking at Zac I watched as he took Vanessa's hand in his. I quickly glanced at Troy. We didn't have any other choice. The bell was going to ring in five minutes and we each had twenty kids who would need a teacher. Reluctantly, I nodded my head.

"Vanny you are going in with Zac and his mom, okay? We'll see you later!" Troy stepped up to say a quick goodbye. I too didn't want the goodbye's to be a big production. I had read in some parenting book, Carlos had lying around the house, that it was better to not make a big deal about anything in regards to parent to child separation.

We both thanked Starla and gave her Vanessa's breakfast before running into the school. Starla, being the nurturing mother and a great friend, promised to stick around to get Vanessa settled and make sure she ate and had everything she needed.

After sharing a quick goodbye and a kiss, Troy and I parted ways. I walked into my classroom only to be met with the principal. My stomach dropped. Technically I wasn't late even though all my students seemed to be present. I knew I should have been here much earlier. Was she coming to fire me? I probably deserved it. Taking a deep breath, I put on my best smile as she walked over to me. We exchanged small talk as I set my bags on my desk.

"I have some bad news." Helen spoke in a tone that made me drop what I was doing. I wasn't ready to be fired on my second day of school. Didn't they have a three-strikes-and-you're-out-rule? I might as well stop unpacking. I waited for Helen, the principal, to continue with whatever she was about to say.

"Unfortunately we are short staffed today. We are missing Kristen, and your two aides. Kristen has your two aides in her room, but I rather them be in her room incase the substitute needs help." It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

"Not a problem. I'm sure I manage without help today." I said as I started helping the kids hang their coat up in their cubby. "I do have one favor, though. I need you to peek into the classroom from time to time. I was able to track down one helper. She should be here any minute." I nodded my head profusely.

It was the least I could do. I felt horrible coming into work with only five minutes to spare. I also secretly wanted to check in with Vanessa and make sure she was okay. The rest of the morning went by in a blur. Most of the kids were well behaved aside from the select few that had to be put in time out for throwing toys.

"Can you help the children get their lunches out? I just need to check on the other class." I asked Linda, my helper for today. I should have gone much earlier, but I didn't have a spare moment.

"Miss. Gabiella! Miss. Gabiella!" As soon as I walked into the room, Zac came running to me. After bending down to meet his level, he threw his arms around my neck.

"What's wrong Zac?" I asked as I rubbed his back.

"The teacher hurt Nessa. Her arm! She grabbed her arm! She's not nice like you Miss. Gabiella." My heart was in my throat as he said this. All I wanted to do was find my daughter. Quickly scanning the room I found her on the rocking chair with the classroom aide. Grabbing Zac's hand I quickly walked over to the two.

"What happened?" I asked my aide, Amanda. Bending down in front of Vanessa, I gently took the ice-pack off examined both of her arms. Sure enough on her right wrist there was a nasty looking bruise beginning to form. Vanessa's lip started quivering again as she reached for me.

"I don't exactly know. One minute all the kids were playing and then the next, Vanessa was crying and had a bruise on her arm." Taking Vanessa into my arms, I kissed her forehead.

"Is there a problem here?" Almost instantly, I felt Vanessa bury her head into my neck and Zachary grabbed onto my dress.

"Yes actually there is. I would like to know how my daughter got this bruise on her arm." I watched as her face fell briefly before gaining confidence.

"She was not behaving or listening. She and Zac were also fighting. I think he hit her with the blocks they were playing with. I put them both in time out, but it seems one of the aides took them out early." I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from cursing her out in front of the children.

"I like Vanny. I don't hurt her Miss. Gabiella!" Zac protested profusely. Taking Zac's hand in mine, I began to leave the room.

"Where are you going? You can't take children out of my class unless I approve of it. I am the teacher in this classroom." The substitute teacher was quickly walking after me. I stopped right in front of the door, turning to face her.

"While in school I am responsible for these two. I am going to report you." While opening the door, I watched as her eyes went wide.

"One more thing; if you are going to make up a story, at least make it believable." As I passed my classroom, I looked into the window and was relieved to find my aide going around the class to help with lunches. I felt badly leaving her by herself with so many kids, but this was an emergency.

"Miss. Gabiella. I don't want to go back in the room today. Can I stay with you?" At the mention of going back into the classroom I felt Vanessa tense up.

"Don't worry you are going to stay with me for the rest of the day." I was furious with what was happening. There is no excuse for this. Walking into the office, I scanned the room looking for the principal. She was no where to be found.

"Is Helen here?" I asked one of the secretaries while taking a seat on one of the chairs. Pulling Zac onto my lap, he leaned against my chest.

"I'm sorry, she is in a meeting, is there something I can help you with?" I wanted to pull Troy out of the gym. I needed him by my side.

"Could you please tell her that I am here and it is an emergency?" The secretary gave me a questioning look before nodding her head and walking away.

"Zac, let me see your wrist," I said as I kissed Zac's head. He held it out and sure enough he had a red handprint on his wrist.

"Honey, did she do this to you?" Zachary looked me in the eyes before nodding his head. I felt the urge to go back into that classroom punch her.

"Oh Zac, why didn't you tell me?" My thumb gently grazed his red mark.

"Nessa hurt. I don't want her to be more sad. I'm okay Miss. Gabiella." This isn't right. No child should take abuse with a grain of salt. Hugging him to my chest, I turned to my daughter.

"Sweetheart, what happened in the classroom? What made her do this to you?" Vanessa wrapped her arms around my neck. I could feel her tears on my shoulder.

"Me a bad girl. Me telled her I hungry at pway time. No time to eat." She began twirling her finger around one of my curls as she spoke.

This was the first time her inadequate vocabulary was brought to my attention. I knew she was behind, but I thought she would catch up before I needed her to tell me something serious. Comparing her to Zac wasn't very accurate either because he was a full year older than her. I made a mental note to talk to her teacher about this.

"You told her you were hungry and she got mad?" Vanessa stuck her thumb in her mouth and nodded.

We waited in silence for the next couple of minutes before being called into Helen's office. Taking a seat in one of her chairs, I kept Vanessa on my lap and put Zac in the seat next to me. Before Helen sat down, she closed her door, giving us some privacy.

"What happened, Gabriella?" Taking a deep breath, I began to tell her everything I knew from the time I walked into the class room to when she tried to stop us from leaving.

She sat there listening intently with a flabbergasted look on her face. My heart dropped. I watched her gaze move towards Vanessa before a soft smile played on her lips. Helen got up from her desk before crouching in front of me. Vanessa lay cuddled to my chest fast asleep.

"You don't believe me." I said in more of a statement than question. She carefully took Vanessa's arm and pulled it straight. Holding my breath, I waited for Vanessa to wake up screaming, but she didn't wake.

"I believe every word you said. This isn't the first time I have gotten a complaint about her. There was a girl last year, who looked similar to Vanessa, but she had shorter hair. Unfortunately we couldn't do anything about it because there were no witnesses. It was an adult's word against a three year old who was too scared to speak up." Helen spoke quietly to me as she rubbed her thumb gently over Vanessa's bruise.

"Something has to be done. I do not want them in that class." I would do whatever it took to make sure the children were safe. Looking over at Zac, I saw his eyes quickly becoming heavy. I could tell he was fighting sleep. As I ran my fingers through his hair he leaned into my hand.

"Come here, bud." After adjusting Vanessa to my right side, I lifted Zac up with my left arm. He fell asleep against my shoulder in a matter of seconds.

"I absolutely agree with you. I am going to put both classes in your room and put a movie on. I'll take care of Stephanie, but I might need you to testify against her." Nodding my head profusely, I agreed to whatever she needed me to do.

"I am so glad you were there to witness this Gabriella. We will take care of this immediately, I promise. For now, why don't you go inform Troy of what is going on and explain to him why the classes won't be in gym. If he wants to help you out with the children, he can." As I stood up Vanessa stirred in my arms. She pouted as her eyes landed upon mine. Helen followed me out of the office before the two of us parted ways.

"Daddy?" Vanessa's questioned as she rubbed her eye. "

We're going to get him, baby." My arms were starting to get sore. I didn't realize how much the weight difference was between Zac and Vanessa. Opening the gym office with my foot, I was relieved to find Troy at his desk.

"You found him!" Vanessa's sweet voice filled the room. Troy swiveled in his chair with a surprised look on his face. He was by my side in an instant.

"What's going on?" Vanessa reached towards him, but he wasn't paying any attention to her. His eyes never left mine, almost as if he was searching for the answer. Shaking my head, I broke the gaze with him.

"Just take them first; my arms are going to break." His father instincts kicked in as he gently scratched Zac's back trying to wake him up. As soon as he got both kids in his arms, I stretched my arms out in front of me, trying to make the soreness disappear.

"What happened to her arm, Gabriella?" Zac said in a rushed voice, setting Vanessa down on his desk.

He used my full name signaling he was upset. I was getting tired of telling this story and it hurt me to relive the moments. If I had just checked on the children sooner, maybe this wouldn't have happened. I couldn't help but feel as if it was my fault.

Grabbing his hand in mine I tried to relieve some of his tension as I began to tell the story. I could feel his muscles in his hand and arm become more prominent as I finished the story. He stayed silent for a couple of minutes, almost as if he was trying to figure things out in his head. I wanted so desperately to know what he was thinking.

"Is she still in the building?" Troy turned his back and placed a kiss on Vanessa's forehead before setting Zachary down to inspect his arm. His face was sullen as he ran his fingers through his hair before massaging his scalp.

"She's probably gone by now. Helen said she was calling the police, but without us to testify against her, they are holding her at the police station until we can get down there. We also have to bring Zac." He didn't acknowledge that he heard me, but it was impossible for him not to.

I couldn't tell if he was angry, disappointed, or sad and that made me apprehensive. I needed to know what he was feeling. I studied his every move. He quickly glanced at the clock before looking back at the two children sitting on his desk.

"I'm off for the rest of the day. I'm coming back into the classroom with you." He said as he helped Zac and Vanessa onto the floor. He grabbed their hands and started walking out.

I watched him walk out of the room and never once did he look back to see if I was following him. I stood there in his office with my arms crossed for a good minute before rolling my eyes and following him out of the room.

"Uh can we talk about what just happened back there?" I said once I caught up with him.

"There's nothing to talk about, Gabriella." Troy said as he entered my preschool class. Troy took Vanessa and Zac to sit on the carpet with the rest of the two classes to watch the movie. With the way he was acting he was frustrating me to no end. I briskly walked over to where he was sitting with Vanessa.

"Come with me." I towered above him wanting him to see how upset I was. He looked up at me briefly, before looking back down and nodding his head. I watched him stand up before bending down to pick up Vanessa. Zac too stood up and grabbed Troy's hand.

"Alone." Almost as if he didn't understand me, he looked down at the two children and then back up at me in a questioning manner.

"Leave them. Come with me." I said in a hushed voice. He stood their motionless. Glancing around the room, I quickly located my aid, Amanda. Taking Vanessa from his arms, I led her and Zac over to Amanda.

"I'll be back in a minute." I said as I set them on the floor in front of her. Taking Troy by his hand, I led him out of my classroom and into the now empty preschool classroom across the hall.

"Gabriella, come on we can't leave them in there. We have to go back. I don't have time for this, Gabriella." He begged while I took a seat on an empty desk. His eyes never once reached mine. He continued to stare at the floor.

"What the hell, Troy? Stop calling me Gabriella. I feel guilty enough; I don't need you reprimanding me. Just fucking stop. I've had enough!" I was tired of this him making me feel worse than I already do.

Bringing my legs to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them before resting my chin on my knees. Out of the corner of my eye I watched Troy stand up and walk away.

A small tear escaped my eye and traveled down my face as I watched him start to walk out of the room. Never once did he turn around. He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away.

"Troy, you walk out of this class room and I won't come home." Wiping the tears that were not falling freely down my face, I got off the desk and wrapped my arms around myself.

"I'm mad at myself, okay?" Troy let out a deep breath as he turned to face me.

"I fucking promised him I would take care of Vanessa. I fucking promised him and I let him down. I keep letting him down." His fists pounded against the white wall before he rested his head against it.

"Some things are out of our hands. Some times we can't do anything about it. We could be the best parents in the world and this still could have happened." Taking his hand in mine, I rubbed his now red knuckles. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his chest. I felt him place a kiss on my head, making me relax in an instant.

"If you ask me, I think we are great parents and love that little girl unconditionally. We just need to work on how we handle situations." Feeling him nod against my neck, I could help but wrap my arms around him.

"I'm so sorry, Baby." I felt his cool breath on my neck as we held each other.

It seems lately life has been throwing us obstacle upon obstacle, but with Troy by my side, I was strong and so was he. We would put up a fight and take whatever means necessary to make sure our daughter is safe.

**I know it has been a long time, but lately with all the lack of Zanessa news I am finding myself with a lack of inspiration. If anyone wants to talk about my stories, have questions, or want to throw some ideas around, I signed up on twitter for this purpose. The link is on my profile. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Also if you are looking for exceptional stories to read subscribe to my community! You won't be disappointed!**


	44. Chapter 44

What Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?

Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine everything else belongs to the Disney franchise.

**Gabriella's Pov:**

School was long over and by three o'clock Troy and I found ourselves in an empty classroom with Zac and Vanessa. Helen had unwillingly gone home after we persuaded her we would make it to the police station just fine. We weren't mad at her over what happened. We knew it wasn't her fault and even though she said this situation happened once before there was a law that she could not be fired due to lack of evidentiary support. The situation was investigated and Stephanie passed with flying colors.

"We are going to have to make that call sometime," Troy interrupted me from my thoughts. I had texted Starla earlier saying we would take Zac home, but she deserved to know the truth.

After staring and my cell phone for a good ten minutes, I sighed before flipping it open. Troy linked hands with me, offering some support, while I waited impatiently for her to answer. When she did, my heart dropped into my stomach for the second time that day.

"Hi Starla; it's Gabriella." I tried to focus on my sporadic breathing before I started again.

"There was an incident at school. The substitute teacher seemed to have hit both Vanessa and Zac. Zac was trying to protect Vanessa." My hands shook as I waited for her response. Troy ran his fingers through my hair and kissed the top of my head.

"Oh my goodness you have got to be kidding me! Are they okay? I am coming down right now." I could hear the nervousness in her voice.

"Please don't Starla. They are both fine. We need to testify against her and they will not let you in. I promise I will come to your house right after. Please don't worry; we are treating your son as if he were our own." I tried to calm the frantic woman. There was a moment of silence between us and for a moment I thought she had hung up on me.

"That is ridiculous that they won't let the mother of the child in. I have never heard of such a thing." I nodded my head even though she couldn't see me. I knew her anger was not directed toward me, but I couldn't help but feel guilty.

"They will let you into the police station, but all you will be able to do is sit and wait for us. I promise I will keep you updated and we will be right over after." I grabbed Troy's hand for support. The warmth of his skin relaxed me. Finishing the conversation I fell silent to everything around me. Rubbing the side of my face, I omitted a deep sigh. This was the last thing I wanted to do today.

"What's going through your mind, baby girl?" Troy's hand made its way to my head and massaged it gently. Learning into his chest, I closed my eyes and relaxed into the soothing sensation he was offering.

"I don't know. I'm just tired of all this bullshit. I am so angry with this woman." My fists balled up thinking about what she had done. "I know. Believe me, I know." He bent down to pick up Vanessa who was tugging at his sweat shirt.

"We should get our stuff and go. They are expecting us to be there within the hour." I nodded to Troy and stood up. The walk to the car was uneventful; we were too preoccupied in our own thoughts to even speak about what will happen at the police station.

"Troy we don't have another car seat for Zachary. I notice as I opened the back door of the car. He sighed as he lifted Zac into the car. "We are going to have to strap him in without one." I shook my head in protest. "I would rather put Zac in the car seat. I'll sit back here with Vanessa." He kissed my forehead before securing Zac in Vanessa's car seat. I climbed in before Troy closed the door. After sitting down, I placed Vanessa on my lap. I watched as her tiny body arched in protest before she gave out a whine of annoyance.

"No Mama!" I saw Troy quickly glance at me in the rearview mirror before backing out of the spot. "Vanesssa stop it." I held her hands from pushing me away. "Mama no! No baby!" She began squirming out of my grasp. "Vanessa behave yourself." Troy turned around as soon as he got to a red light. "I have never seen her act like this." I told him, as she started screaming.

Zachary covered his ears and joined in, "Nessa don't yell at mommy!" She quickly became hysterical which caused Troy to pull over to the side of the road. "I am not fighting with her. I don't have energy for this." I unbuckled Zac just as Troy opened the door. I quickly handed her to him not being able to hold onto the squirming child any longer.

She continued to cry with Troy but didn't protest to get down. Troy and I locked eyes for a brief moment before he winked at me and walked away. I sighed, slightly annoyed at what just happened. I held Zac close to me and relaxed back in the chair.

Troy's Pov:

I couldn't believe how Vanessa was acting. As I walked with her to the back of the car, her gasps for air became less frequent. Leaning against the trunk, I pulled away from Vanessa so I could see her face. She was in full pout mode while her fist was balled up, rubbing her eye.

"What happened with mommy?" While sweeping the hair from her face, her thumb found its way into her mouth.

"No baby!" she exclaimed before pointing in Gabriella's direction. Shaking my head, I pulled her thumb from her mouth. "Mommy did not call you a baby. Zachary needed your big girl seat and you are too little to sit in a seat by yourself." I am not sure how much of that she understood, but I tried to make it comprehendible for her. Her eyes watered and her fists pushed against my chest.

"No Mama. No baby!" I held her close to my chest and wrapped my arms around her. "I don't understand, pretty girl. Mommy knows you are a big girl." I was frustrated with myself that I couldn't understand my own daughter. I needed to get her into speech therapy. I could tell Vanessa was getting frustrated too because she started squirming in my arms. Her crying had begun again. Standing up, I held her close to me and rocked her back and forth.

"Shhh baby girl. It's okay." I tried to soothe her best I could. "You have to be nice to mommy, Ness." I tried to reprimand her for her earlier actions in the car.

"No Mama! No want baby!" I became even more confused as I tried to make sense of what Vanessa was trying to tell me.

"And where is this baby you don't want?" I took a moment to look back at Gabriella and Zac to check on them. They were both curled up in the seat. Zac had drifted off to sleep, but Gabriella continued to play with his blonde curls. I smiled at how affectionate she was being to him.

"Baby in tummy!" As soon as those words came out of her mouth, my world froze. My breathing became shallow and for a minute, I thought as though I would pass out. This cannot be happening. Then again, why do I trust a three year old to relay vital information?

"Did mommy tell you Vanessa?" Her big brown eyes looked up at me as she continued sucked her thumb.

"Mama no tells me" She whispered while shaking her head. I supported her tiny body with one arm while I massaged the bridge of my nose with the thumb and forefinger of my other hand.

Making my way back to the car, I heard Gabriella singing to Zac. I missed hearing her voice. I had forgotten how beautiful it was. The last time I heard her voice was a couple months ago when Vanessa was sick with a bad fever and she was trying to get her to sleep. It had worked like magic, but for some reason I hadn't heard her sing since. I settled Vanessa into her car seat and strapped her in. I managed to quickly glance and Gabriella's stomach without her noticing. It didn't look any different to me. Her eyes met mine in a questioning manor.

"She is in that phase where she doesn't like to share her toys and my guess is her car seat is one of them." I quickly covered for Vanessa. I would do whatever it took to prove Vanessa wrong. Gabriella couldn't be pregnant, it was impossible.

The four of us arrived at the police station not long after. I quickly took Vanessa out, not wanting her to have another tantrum. Secretly however, I did not want to explain the reason behind Vanessa's recent outburst to Gabriella. It was a conversation that I was not yet ready to have. We walked through the building doors both unsure of what to expect, but none the less, we walked in hand in hand.

"Want to behave! I sowwy!" Vanessa squirmed as she caught sight of the police man. Kissing her forehead, I shook my head. "You are a good girl, don't worry." I had to reassure her that she was not being punished for what she had done in the car.

The officer at the desk wasn't very intimidating. It was a heavyset officer with a thick black mustache and a uni-brow to match. He was leaning back in his chair with his feet up on the desk holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a strawberry glazed donut in the other. As soon as he looked up from the newspaper he was reading and saw us come in, he immediate sat up straight and wiped his mouth free of crumbs.

"What can I help you with today?" From the tiredness in his voice, I assume he had a busy day. "A substitute teacher was arrested from Albuquerque elementary school. We are here to testify against her." The police officer immediately got up from the chair.

"I am so sorry about what happened, but having the children testifying isn't necessary. The chief of police however would like a word in private with you two." I looked at Gabriella who sported a concerned look. Truth be told, I was concerned too, but I didn't want to worry Gabriella even more.

"Can I have just a few minutes to get my daughter to sleep. She is terrified of police officers. He smiled and nodded before I took Gabriella by the hand and brought her out side.

"What the heck was that about Troy! Are they just going to let that woman go without hearing us out?" I shrugged my shoulders at a loss for words. Laying Vanessa in my arms I secured her to my chest before rocking her back and forth. I was secretly glad she had missed her nap today because it would make it much easier to get her to sleep.

"I have no idea. They must have a good reason for it. It is impossible for her to get out scot free from this. Both kids have the marks to prove it." This seemed to calm her fears. She glanced at Zachary who was busy playing with her necklace. I watched in admiration as she kissed his cheek. Zac giggled and reached up to wrap his arms around his neck.

Feeling Vanessa curl up in my arms and I noticed she had fallen asleep. "What is going on with her, Troy. She never acts like this with me." I was trying to avoid answering this question. I didn't even know how to bring the subject up. It wasn't something I had prepared myself to ever having to deal with. "I think she is just going through a phase. Don't take it to heart baby girl. It will probably be over either in a few days or a week."

She gave me a sad smile. My heart broke at that face. "Come here, babe." The back of my hand grazed the side of her cheek before I placed a kiss on her lips. "It will all be ok." I whispered quietly to her and linked her hand in mine.

Walking back into the police station for the second time that day, we were both ready to tackle whatever life decided to throw at us. The four of us were brought into a plain room surrounded by four white walls. There was a desk in the middle and three chairs. Just as Gabriella and I sat down, a police man came into the room and sat down. We shook hands as he sat down and watched as he opened the manila folder in front of him.

"Sir I am going to place a picture in front of you and you tell me what you see. Miss I am going to do the same for you." I watched as the man flipped through his folder before picking up two pictures. He placed one in front of me and the other in front of Gabriella. Linking hands with Gabriella under the table I gently squeezed it.

"It's a person with brown eyes, a long face, and no hair." I spoke up first. Gabriella was still studying her picture. Sneaking a glance at hers I did not understand the activity he was presenting us with. "Mine shows the same person." Gabriella looked up at him in a questioning manner. The police officer nodded his head before going back into the folder.

"What if I added hair to her? Tell me what you see then." I studied the picture of the brunette woman in front of me. I saw no point to this activity.

"It is Stephanie Hernandez, the substitute teacher. Sir what does this have to do with anything?" I gave the two pictures back to him.

I heard a small gasp escape from Vanessa's lips. She picked up the picture before I could catch a glimpse. She traced the picture with the tips of her fingers. "It's Vanessa's biological mother." My voice caught in my throat as soon as I heard those words come out of Gabriella's mouth.

The police man took both pictures and placed them in front of both of us. "It is amazing how hair color and makeup can change a person's appearance. Marie has been arrested and put into jail on multiple charges and has been sentenced to two life sentences." Gabriella covered her mouth with her hand, both of us shocked by what we had just seen.

"This wasn't the first time this has happened. Why didn't they investigate before?" I had to control my voice for Zachary's sake. I was fighting the urge to yell at this man. "The child could not prove or incriminate the teacher. She was too young. It was much before Marie had seen her daughter so I am assuming she thought it was her daughter. It looked exactly like her." I watched as he closed his folder and returned it to the filing cabinet in the corner of the room. Gabriella and I nodded our heads and got up to leave.

We were both in a daze about the new information we had just learned. The walk to the car was silent both of us too afraid to speak. I settled Vanessa's sleeping form in her car seat while Gabriella set Zachary down in the car.

"Hey" Stopping Gabriella from getting into the car, she turned to look at me. Her eyes were glassy and her hands shook. She collapsed against my chest the second I pulled her close. Lifting her off the ground, she wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her head into the neck of my sweatshirt.

"I trusted that woman with my baby. I gave her my baby and she hurt her. What kind of mother hands her daughter off willingly into one of the most dangerous situations possible?" I held Gabriella as close as I could, hating the fact that she was blaming herself. It wasn't her fault.

"She fooled us Brie, she fooled us all." Pushing a stray piece of hair out of her eyes, she shook her head. "If only I checked on them sooner, I could have prevented this." I wiped the tears that were cascading down her face with my thumb. She always ended up blaming herself for when things go wrong.

"No you couldn't have. It was inevitable. This woman is not mentally secure. She can put up a good front, but as soon as you left the room, it would have happened." Kissing her chin line, I set her on her feet. She nodded sadly before turning to get into the car. It hurt me to see her like this. This was the third time she has cried today. Her emotions were on a never ending roller coaster it seemed.

"Where we going now?" Zac's voice piped up as soon as I pulled out of the parking lot.

"We are going to see mommy, buddy." I told him while looking in the rearview mirror. I kept a close eye on Gabriella who was staring mindlessly out the window. We arrived at the Efron's house in less than ten minutes. Getting the kids out of the car was a different story. Both were passed out from the exhausting day they had gone through. Carefully un-strapping Vanessa, I lifted her out of the seat and rested her limp body against my shoulder.

"Here, I'll take Zac." If what Vanessa had said was true, I did not need her to be carrying anything heavy.

"Babe I can get him. You have Vanessa too don't forget." I shook my head in protest and scooped Zac up from her arms.

"Too late." Winking at her, she playfully rolled her eyes and followed me up the walkway. The door I noticed was opened and I assumed it was for us. Gabriella led the ways opening the door wide enough for me to enter smoothly with both kids. Gabriella closed the door behind us and we walked further into the house.

"Gabriella? Troy? Is that you?" We heard a muffled voice that sounded like it was behind a closed door. Walking to the couch, I gently set Vanessa down on one end and Zac the other, careful not to wake either of them. Vanessa gave a tiny stretch before turning on her side. Gabriella grabbed the blanket that was draped over the back of the couch. It was large enough to cover both of them.

"Where are you Starla?" I asked as Gabriella and I climbed the stairs. She didn't answer so I assumed she couldn't hear me. As I walked the upstairs hallway I saw a light on in Zachary's room. Opening the door we were met with a disturbing sight. His room was an absolute mess and Mrs. Efron was no where to be found. There were two suitcases on the floor, both of which were half full. Clothes and toys were flying out of the closet left and right.

"Starla, what's going on?" Gabriella broke free from my hand and went over to kneel by the distraught woman.

"It has to be here somewhere. It just has to." Starla exclaimed while emptying out a bin of toys on the closet floor. Her hands shook as she carefully examined each piece of clothing. It watched from the doorway as Gabriella placed her hands on top of Starla's, calming her frantic hands.

"Starla what's going on?" I asked for the second time. Nervously, I watched on as Starla bowed her head before omitting a small sob.

"I have to leave town for a week. My mother is very sick and was admitted to the hospital. I can't do that if I don't find the bear my mom gave Zachary when he was a baby. I need to find that bear." She retuned to searching for the stuffed animal. Tears were falling freely from her eyes. Gabriella locked eyes with mine. She stared at me for a good minute before returning her attention to Starla.

"Starla, go. Go visit your mom and let Zachary stay with us." I couldn't have been prouder of Gabriella for requesting this. Starla has done so much for us and it is our turn to repay her.

"You two have enough on your plate." She said while dumping out the third bin. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor woman. She had so much on her plate.

"Mommy what you doing in my closet?" Zac slipped passed me and stared at his mother while rubbing his left eyes with his fist.

"Oh my baby! Come here and tell me what happened." Starla held out her hands to her son and sat him on her lap. I smiled at the interaction between the two. She showered him with kisses while Zac was trying to escape.

"Mom I am not a baby! The teacher was mean to Nessa!" Gabriella held out Zac's arm for Starla to see. The red mark was beginning to fade. Gabriella replayed all that had happened at school including the shock we received at the police station. She held her son close to her.

"Mommy stop it! It don't hurt. She hurt Nessa. She crying." I watched as Zac stood up and walked around his closet. He picked up a pile of forgotten clothes and through them up in the air. I smiled as he erupted in giggled when the clothes landed on top of him.

"You made a mess mommy!" He was able to get a smile out of his distraught mother when he pointed at her and shook his finger.

"We are going away for a week." Starla said as she rummaged through the clothes on the floor for a second time. Zac was too busy stepping on all the clothes on the floor. It almost looked as if he created a game out of it. He was jumping on all the piles, careful not to put his feet on the carpet.

"Where we going Mom? We going on vacation?" Zac squealed while clapping his hands together in excitement.

"Yeah Zac you're going to spend the week at my house." I answered quickly before Starla could tell him otherwise. Zac ran out of the room screaming with excitement. Starla sighed before looking up at me. Her hands stopped folding the clothes and instead she stood up from her place on the closet floor and walked over to me. She engulfed me in an embrace before moving to Gabriella.

"You have no idea what you are getting yourself. Are you sure you are willing to do this for a whole week?" Starla shook her head before walking out of the closet. Linking my hand with Gabriella's we followed her out.

"Starla I meant what I said. We can handle this. You go take care of your mother and we will take care of Zac." I reassured her while zipping up Zac's suitcase and bringing it downstairs. Starla said her goodbyes and thanked us profusely as I lifted Vanessa's sleeping form from the couch. Before we left I made Starla unlocked the car so we could get Zac's car seat. Gabriella got it from the car while I carefully buckled Vanessa into her seat.

It was about five minutes before we got both kids settled in the car and was able to head home. Throughout the whole ride home I kept looking in the rearview mirror. What scared me the most was looking back and seeing two children – it felt natural, right. Looking at Gabriella, I linked hands with her and rubbed my thumb over her slender fingers. After pulling into the garage I took Vanessa out and unbuckled Zac so he could climb out.

"What do you think is going to happen in school Monday?" I asked Gabriella as we entered the house. Gabriella shrugged her shoulders while disabling the alarm system.

"They are either going to find a replacement or I will be stuck with all of them. I can't imagine they are going to find someone on such short notice." I nodded and flipped through the mail on the kitchen counter. There was a note from Martin saying he had gone to the supermarket to pick up dinner. Vanessa started stretching in my arms. She gave a small yawn before her eyes fluttered open.

"Nessa you up! Now we can play!" Zac eagerly jumped up and down at my feet. "I'm going to put a movie on for the kids in our room. I need to lie down, I'm exhausted!" Gabriella said while wrapping her arms around me and kissing the back of my neck.

"I'll be up there in a few minutes; I just need to do something for work on the computer real quick." Gabriella unwound her arms and held out her hand for Zac. He eagerly took it and the two went upstairs.

I waited a few minutes before grabbing my cell phone and walking outback to the patio. With shaky fingers I dialed a familiar number. My fingers tapped on the glass table as I waited for someone to answer. Vanessa leaned against my chest still in the process of waking up. I kissed her head before sitting down.

"Hello?" I instantly became nervous when he finally answered.

"Martin it's me, are you still at the supermarket?" I bounced my leg up and down in anticipation.

"Yeah I apologize I'm a little late. I am just about done here." I felt Vanessa tug at my shirt, trying to get my attention. I put one finger up to my lips signaling for her to be quiet.

"Not a problem, we just got back ourselves. Zac is staying with us for the week. Starla had to go out of town." Once again Vanessa started tugging at my shirt.

"Not to be rude, Troy, but was there a reason you called?" I could hear background noises of cash registers ringing up items.

"Dada!" Vanessa started squirming in my arms. Standing up I began walking around, trying to keep her entertained for the next five minutes.

"Martin I was wondering if you could pick up a pregnancy test." I cringed as I waited for his answer. The line was silent, making it ten times worse. He waited a good minute before speaking.

"Please tell me you did not plan to have this child while all the chaos is going on." I ran my hands through my hair and leaned on the porch railing.

"No I don't even know if she is. I have a feeling she might be. I don't want to say anything to Gabriella just yet though." There was no need to worry her if she ended up not being pregnant. She has enough on her plate as it is and a baby would just add to the chaos in this house.

"I'll take care of it, Troy. I'll be home in about a half hour, see you then." Martin hung up the phone so I stuffed it back into my pocket.

"Vanessa mommy loves you very much. If mommy does have a baby in her then she would love you just the same. I promise you Ness, you are her baby girl." Walking back inside, I quietly closed the back door silently praying that Gabriella did not notice that I was gone. Setting Vanessa down on the floor of our room, I found Gabriella and Zac sitting on the floor picking out a DVD.

"This one!" Zac held the movie up to Gabriella. It was Finding Nemo, one of my favorite movies. "Good choice, Buddy." I said as I walked into the room. Vanessa walked cautiously to Gabriella. Gabi looked at me briefly before locking eyes with her daughter.

"Come here pipsqueak. Mommy needs a hug." Gabrielle held her arms out to Vanessa who wasted no time running to her mother.

"I yov you mommy." Vanessa climbed into Gabriella's lap and wrapped her tiny arms around her neck. "I love you too, baby girl. Forever and always." If I could replay that scene over and over I would. That moment would stay with me forever, I was sure of it. Gabrielle placed a kiss on Vanessa's cheek before they both broke away from the embrace. As soon as Vanessa saw Nemo come onto the screen she sat next to Zac in front of the television.

After turning the lights off I slipped into bed, holding my arms out for my brunette beauty to join me. My arms encircled her small waist as she laid her body against my chest and pulled the covers over us. Reaching over her, I grabbed her tank top and a pair of my sweatpants sitting on the nightstand. Unwrapping my arms, I gently helped her take her jacket off. Her skirt was next. After unzipping it, she quickly kicked off the skirt and replaced it with the pair of sweatpants I presented her with. I tied them for her while she switched her work shirt out with her comfortable tank top.

"You okay baby?" One of my hands slipped under her tank top while the other supported my head. The smooth skin of her flat stomach was felt under my fingertips. I always loved the feel of how soft her skin was.

"Yeah, this day has just worn me out." She shifted to lying on top of me. Both my hands found their way to the warm skin of her lower back. I gently massaged her causing her eyes to flutter closed and a smile play on her lips. Glancing back at the tv, I found both kids engulfed in the movie they were watching.

"Rest, my love." I kissed her forehead as I felt her body relax against mine.

Downstairs I heard the soft sound of the door closing. Everything would just have to wait. The pregnancy test would just have to lay forgotten in the cabinet. If by chance we are pregnant, I would embrace it and love this child just as much as I love Vanessa. We are proof that we can handle anything life throws our way. Raising my head to the sky I silently thanked Carlos for giving me this beautiful family.

**I would just like to thank everyone for being so patient with me. This story has taken me longer to finish that it should of and for that I apologize. I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. **


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